Check out the Top 5 Germiest Spots in any Restaurant

The older we get, the more conscientious we become to protecting ourselves from germs.Children have no problem wiping their nose on their sleeve or sneezing and coughing without covering their mouths.In fact, if you’ve dined out lately, I am sure you’ve noticed it too.Unfortunately, not everyone carries a hand sanitizer in their pocket or purse or acts as diligently as others in making sure their hands are washed and clean before sitting down to the table for a nice meal out.

In fact, you might be surprised to find out where your biggest threats of contagious bacteria hide… (hint, they are right on your table!)

5. Restaurant Tables are germ hotspots!

Here's a clue as to how tables could be so germy… ever reach under one and find a wad of bubble gum? Maybe a dirty napkin?Truth is, tables usually get “wiped down” after each sitting but, during a busy service, the staff is more focused on getting you seated in a timely manner instead of properly disinfecting the table with a cleaning solution.Studies have shown that most restaurants use the same cloth to wipe down the tables, thus spreading the germs from previous tables.

Moral of the story here is, even if you can’t see the germs, you can bet they are there.

4. Condiments (Ketchup, Salt & Pepper Shakers, Sugar) add germs too!

Turns out, the biggest culprit of harmful bacteria like E. Coli can be found in Pepper shakers.Perhaps it’s because it is a plant-based item that openly sits on the table, or, perhaps it’s because the tops of the shakers, bottles and other condiments rarely get wiped off.

Either way, your best bet is to ask for individual packets of salt, pepper, ketchup and sugars instead of pouring them from the same bottles that a thousand other folks have used.

3. Lemon Wedge's can turn your drink into a germy cocktail.

It’s no surprise, one of the largest carriers of fecal matter can be found on that innocent looking slice of lemon, just waiting to be dropped in your ice water or sweet tea.In fact, studies (and undercover news stories) have widely reported just how easy it is to cross-contaminate lemons when they are being improperly handled in the kitchen, sliced and stored to be served.Word of advice, your lemon should never touch what you are drinking or eating.If you need it, squeeze it and toss the remains.

2. Booster Seats & Chairs are considered germy thrones!

It’s always refreshing to watch as the bus staff wipes down the table and chairs before you sit down, making sure no stains or crumbs find your pants.However, chances are (see #5), they are just spreading the germs around with a dirty cloth. Infant booster seats & treys are exposed with toddler’s germs and often a hotbed of harmful bacteria’s like E Coli from contact with the occasional dirty diaper.If you often eat out with a little one, wiping down their seat (and yours) with a disinfecting wipe might be the best thing you can do.

And that brings us to the number one threat for germs in any given restaurant…

1. Order from the germiest thing in the building, the Menu!

Consider this… a typical cold or flu virus can survive 18 hours on a hard surface, thus making the widely used (and passed around) menu to be the biggest culprit of germs in the restaurant.According to studies, menus can have bacteria counts as high as 185,000 per square centimeter-far more than a toilet seat. Plastic covered menus are often handled for days without being properly sanitized (or even wiped down), allowing harmful pathogens to be passed freely amongst everyone who handles them.

Of course, people don't get sick every time they touch a menu. But if the infectious dose is high enough, or the person touching the menu is a young child or has a compromised immune system, the likelihood can be significant

So what can you do?

For starters, next time you go to a restaurant, take a seat, order your food -- then go wash your hands or break out the hand sanitizer before you eat.

If you happen to be a restaurant owner, learn how waterproofmenu.com is a dishwasher safe option for your menus at the end of each service! Your patrons immune system will thank you.Bon Appetit!