You’ve just been seated at your favorite restaurant. You’re looking over the menu while the server describes the delicious specials, and your stomach is already rumbling. You just need to decide which tasty dish you’d like to order. As you think about it, what do you do? If you’re like most people, you touch your face, cradling your cheek in your palm or tapping a finger to your lips or chin. These common “thinking gestures” wouldn’t be a problem — except the germiest item in the restaurant was just in your hands. Yep, the menu just happens to be the most germ-laden part of any restaurant. It’s likely that before you sat down, the busser pulled out a wet rag and gave the table a good wipe down. If he’s conscientious, he probably used the same rag to wipe the ketchup bottle, the salt and pepper shakers, the benches and chairs, and the menus. Then he plopped the rag right back into the bucket of water he’s been using all night and repeated the cleaning process on the next table. You see the problem? Not only are lots of people touching restaurant menus, but thanks to that communal rag, germs on one surface are transferred to every other surface. What can you do? The No. 1 tip is to wash your hands with soap and water before eating — and after touching the menu. You can also use a squirt of hand sanitizer to disinfect your hands if you fear the bathroom more than the menus. Always carry a travel-size package of surface disinfecting wipes and wipe down the table in front of you and any condiments you might be using. Whatever you do, KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM YOUR FACE. There’s no need to stop eating out, but taking these precautions can make sure you only come home with a doggy bag, with no germs riding shotgun.
