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"When you get right to it, everything is crawling with microorganisms. Big deal, right?! But, I will admit, certain things really skeeve me out, like, well, public restroom keys at places like cafes and gas stations, which begins my rant ... In college I had a part-time job as a barista for a major coffee company (I won&amp;#x27;t name names!), and we had a restroom key that people had to come get to unlock the door to the bathroom. Let me just say, after a few months on the job, I saw all kinds of people touch that key, and after one of my co-workers had to clean the key (or rather, the wooden block it was attached to) after a customer complained of something, er, gross smudged on the side, I vowed never to touch a restroom key again. (Yes, I still use public restrooms, I just handle communal keys and key chains with a wad of paper towels or tissue!) The whole concept of restroom keys drives me crazy. I know, businesses like to make sure that no funny business is going down in their restrooms, but guys, these public restroom keys (and the crazy things businesses attach to them--license plates, whisks, blocks of wood, you name it) are a germ-hater&amp;#x27;s nightmare. The perfect breeding ground for germs, these frequently touched items are only as clean as the last person who touched it (or held it while doing their business). And, nobody ever cleans them (unless there&amp;#x27;s an obvious reason to, like the one I mentioned above--ick). But, before I end this rant, I&amp;#x27;ll just say, my biggest gripe is how these keys are handled by restaurant/cafe staff! Just watch next time: Often the same person who hands you the restroom key is the same person who is making your sandwich/fastening the lid on your coffee cup. Sorry, but I think that&amp;#x27;s gross. Sure, a few stray microbes on a key chain probably won&amp;#x27;t make you (or me) sick, but do I want fecal bugs on my hand or my coffee cup? Um, no thanks! Food for thought, huh? Tell me, friends, do you posses the same utter and visceral hatred for public restroom keys that I do? More reading: *Shoes-off or shoes-on in your home? Could one be healthier? *5 germy habits you should probably try to break *You&amp;#x27;ve heard that money is dirty, right? Wait until you hear what&amp;#x27;s on your bills! More Ways to Get Glamour You could win $50,000 just for registering or logging in to Glamour.com! Sign up for Glamour.com&amp;#x27;s Style Tips of the Week and Beauty Tip of the Day newsletters! Add Glamour to your iGoogle homepage. Follow us on Twitter! Photo: iStock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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