But do most people wash up before eating? Not even close. Only 1‑in‑8 people do, even though our hands carry hundreds of times more germs than a park bench or escalator handrail. And that means the germs already on our hands are more likely to make us sick than any germy thing we touch in a restaurant. So don’t worry so much about the bacteria-riddled menu or the ketchup bottle that hasn’t been cleaned, ever. Instead, before you pick up that burger, ask yourself, did I wash my hands? Since our hands are in constant contact with our mouth – or what we put IN our mouth – it makes them the fastest route to illness.

Follow me on Facebook