Would you use cloth hand towels in a public restroom or no (because of germs)

I recently posted here about a new product PeopleTowels. I haven't reviewed them yet because the company literally just sent me some to sample. However, once I got them I asked my boyfriend if he'd review them too - I always try to get more than one opinion on gear I test. And he said, "Why would I use a personal hand towel out and about?" he went on to say that he thinks that paper towels serve more than one purpose – they dry your hands and also protect you from germs. For example, he said he washes, then uses that same paper towel to open the bathroom door on the way out.

He basically said that unless PeopleTowels stop germs he wouldn't give them a good review. My issue with this in short is that germs are everywhere. You can't avoid them. I wrote an example at my personal blog...



Am  I missing something here. I'm not sure germs alone justify using paper towels when there are germs everywhere anyhow. I'm fairly immune to germ worries because I spent too much time in college microbiology (everything we swabbed to test was germ ridden) so I sort of came to a "we can't win against germs" decision and besides the normal stuff, washing hands, washing food, etc. I mainly don't care.

All that said, I'm wondering if anyone else agrees with my boyfriend's theory about paper towels stopping germs. I'm wondering if a basic worry about said germs is why, even though it's toxic people still buy bleach and other harsh cleaners.

What do you think? - Oh and personally I'd use the towels, or at least I'll try them out. As noted I don't think it matters if you use the paper towel on the bathroom door or not.

I guess people assume (or some people) that the bathroom door is the most germy thing but honestly I don't see how it's worse than anything else a million people touch, which is why I have trouble accepting my boyfriend's train of thought too. Germs can be just as bad on money or library books which we touch all the time. When I was in micro and had to grow bacteria from everyday objects the one that ended up being the most gross was actually a 'clean' cafeteria tray - that had been cleaned (in theory) by staff so... what are ya gonna do? Plus when I was in university RN clinicals we did a hand washing experiment using that germ gel (stuff that shows germs) and an ultraviolet light and no one passed. Even folks who had washed for three minutes; well over the recommended hand washing time.

He did bring up using the peopletowels on the door, but then said, well now the germs would be on the towel so that blows that idea out.

I agree. I never wanted my son totally sheltered from germs because I do think people should build up some natural resistance. Most people I know are way over zealous about trying to kill germs, which I think is mainly a good way to grow nice big overly resistant germs. I take basic precautions but I'm not up for germs ruling my life.

If you carried a PeopleTowel it's a personal use towel. I don't think I'd use public cloth hand towels; even for me that's a little more germy than I'd like. We only use cloth napkins too and sometimes more than once.

UPDATE: I told my boyfriend my germ theory - that germs are everywhere so just skipping them on the bathroom door is less helpful than it seems. He said, and excuse me for the grossness here, that "Fresh poo and pee" are his main concern not old dried up germs such as you might find on an ATM machine.

The bathrooms he visits must be super bad, that's all I know.

Trust me, after micro and nursing school I do know how bad the bathroom doors are, but I also know that plenty of other things we touch are just as bad, which is why I don't get the extra carefulness in the bathroom but not wearing gloves to handle money, pens, the ATM, food, etc.

My boyfriend talks as if the bathroom doors he encounters are literally dripping with pee. Wow that was a gross statement. Knowing him I bet he does use the paper towel for the faucet too - but I'll ask anyhow.