# Five Second Rule?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-second-rule/41682
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [November 17, 2000, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-second-rule/41682 "2000-11-17T23:22:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [November 19, 2000, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-second-rule/41682/21 "2000-11-19T20:20:54Z")
My favorite example of that “out of place” rule is the trays in the cafeteria. They’re washed in exactly the same way as the plates (stack 'em on a rack, run 'em through the machine, if you can still see stuff on 'em, run 'em through until you can’t), but most of the folks I eat with consider anything that contacts the tray unfit for human consumption.
In general, the only things on your floor that are a greater problem than your plate are things that you can see. If your floor is covered in cat fur or tracked-in mud, then it should be obvious.
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### Author:  [@kidchaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchaos)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2000, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-second-rule/41682/22 "2000-11-20T09:09:26Z")
my general rule is that if it bounces, then it’s probably good to eat, with the where-it-landed variable in place.
i don’t know though, there’s some food out there where i’m more concerned with what’s inside it, then what might be on it if i violate the five-second rule.
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### Author:  [@TheThill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheThill)
#### Post date: [November 20, 2000, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/five-second-rule/41682/23 "2000-11-20T11:32:09Z")
After 4.75 seconds, pick the food up, hold it up to the heavens, close your eyes and say the following words: “clean food, clean food, clean food.” Then dig in!
Bon appetit!
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