# How germaphobic are you? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 29, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042 "2013-04-29T20:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/21 "2013-04-29T21:17:53Z")
I got something like 25% and I’m surprised it’s that high. I’m guessing it’s because I said I wash my hands a lot. However, given that I’m the only cook in the house, that’s entirely reasonable. Of course I wash my hands before and after touching raw food, especially meat! And after using the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![ReticulatingSplines](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e274bd/32.png) [@ReticulatingSplines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ReticulatingSplines)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/22 "2013-04-29T21:22:50Z")
I’m a germaphobe and I only got a 32%. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/23 "2013-04-29T21:51:48Z")
24% I’m a lot pickier than I used to be. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/24 "2013-04-29T21:55:36Z")
39%, and I’m puzzled. They quiz never mentioned Germans once; they didn’t even mention the War! ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/25 "2013-04-29T22:15:07Z")
69%, but I probably should be higher, whatever that means. I’m pretty germphobic these days. I blame it on spending so much time in hotel rooms for work. I’ve gotten…“quirky,” my wife calls it. (I’m 69% of _what_, incidentally? Does this mean I’m more germphobic than 69% of the population? Or what?) Anyway, some of my answers are not indicative of how germphobic I am-- like the spittle landing on my arm question. On the inside I may be freaking the fuck out about it, but on the outside, I’m too polite to make someone feel bad by making a scene. ---
**Author:** ![swampbear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampbear/32/467_2.png) [@swampbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampbear)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/26 "2013-04-29T22:25:09Z")
33% for me. YOU ARE NOT A GERMAPHOBE! A little dirt never killed anyone, did it?..whatever. You wouldn’t care anyway. You are probably a pretty chill person, congrats! Don’t get carried away though…and try to wash your hands more, the germaphobes will thank you. ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/27 "2013-04-29T22:29:21Z")
30% ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/28 "2013-04-29T22:33:53Z")
47%, but it was only the terrible phrasing of the questions and answers I’m not higher. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/29 "2013-04-29T22:58:34Z")
23% A lot of the questions ineffective, I thought. I carry tissues (more likely a handkerchief), but not because I hate germs, but because I don’t want to wipe my nose on my sleeve. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/30 "2013-04-29T23:15:21Z")
14%. Sounds about right. As for the cheek kissing, it’s a very popular method of greeting someone in Quebec culture, and happens to me quite often in Ontario (by females). ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/31 "2013-04-29T23:18:37Z")
35 percent – I think it was so high because I keep a box of tissues nearby; allergies mean I sneeze a fair amount year-round. ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/32 "2013-04-29T23:22:09Z")
6%, even though I consider myself fairly germaphobic. Like **Happy Lendervedder** , I’ve become finicky as I’ve gotten older. I don’t do stupid urban legend bullshit like not sit on a perfectly good toilet, but I am insane about food preparation, cleanliness, wash my hands regularly, and take my own sheets and blankets everywhere, and I HATE to shake hands/get near sick people. Where are the questions about your reaction to being sneezed on?! ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/33 "2013-04-29T23:37:54Z")
31% for me, and I’m surprised it’s that low. I like to wash my hands a lot, and I’d be happy if we dropped the custom of shaking hands altogether. ---
**Author:** ![papergirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aca169/32.png) [@papergirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papergirl)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/34 "2013-04-29T23:41:40Z")
13%. I’m a slob. I don’t worry much about anything except I like to wash my hands (or rinse them, at least) and do so frequently. The nurses where I work are horrified. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![geneb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a88e4f/32.png) [@geneb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geneb)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/35 "2013-04-30T00:47:11Z")
6%. It does seem like a pretty terribly constructed test, but it is pretty easy to see where the writer is going with most of the questions and, thus, to answer truthfully. I’d say 6% is where I really fall; I take basic precautions like not using my hand for toilet paper (or at least washing after), but otherwise I am not worried about germs. Incidentally I have only been sick 3 times in the past 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/36 "2013-04-30T00:52:40Z")
6% I knew, of course, that this sort of thing didn’t bother me but I didn’t know it didn’t bother me that much. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/37 "2013-04-30T00:54:23Z")
Wait, you guys think 6% is high? I thought average was somewhere around 50%. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/38 "2013-04-30T00:57:26Z")
22%, but I think I’m worse. There were some questions where there was no answer to fit me. Someone wants to borrow my deodorant? Sure, but depending on who it is I may never use it again. Same with soap. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/39 "2013-04-30T01:11:09Z")
36%, it says I’m balanced, not a germaphobe, but take care of things that count. Sounds about right. I generally am not bothered by most things on that list, though mouth-open chewing bothers me immensely not for germ reasons but for total annoyance reasons. I wash hands fairly frequently because it’s part of my job, but even on days I’m just hanging out at home it’s probably at least five times a day. First after scooping litter boxes, second and third before cooking/preparing a meal, fourth and fifth after using the toilet and likely more since I do use the toilet more than twice a day. In that context, 5 or more hand washings a day really doesn’t sound like much. ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2013, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042/40 "2013-04-30T01:18:54Z")
I wash my hands about 20-30 times a day actually. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-germaphobic-are-you/657042.md?page=3)