Lick Your Fingers to Open Plastic Bags

By

Deeli

I left a comment about a year ago regarding this same suggestion since I have to be careful about germs because my immune system is now compromised because of COPD (asthma and emphysema).

I so hope your husband's disability is not one where his immune system isn't up to par because doing something as simple as this can cause numerous bacterial problems (colds, flu, MRSA, hepititis, etc) which could land him in the hospital :-(

By

Shelyn

Robyn Fed, most germs are not just under your nails. I am a Dietary Manager and have had two courses in sanitation and I'm qualified to be a sanitation inspector. Germs are are all over you. The unsafe zone for bacteria growth is between 40 and 140 degrees. Your body temp is 98.8 so bacteria grows. Also, using too much hand sanitizer can also make you become sick due to it killing too many germs. Yes, you have to have some bacteria to fight off disease, this is a known fact. In sanitation the most dangerous tool to contaminate is your hands.
Plus regular use of hand sanitizers can dry your hands out badly. I can't use it because it causes my hands to crack and peel.

By

PamelaW

Instead, go to produce section with water spray and wet a couple fingers.

By

Robyn Fed

Thank you for posting this, the idea is to wet the finger worth something, also I take a spray bottle of either Listerene or vinegar, apple cider vinegar, and I always have a hand sanitizer. I don't mind the smell of the apple cider vinegar.

I like the wet finger thing, the trouble is when I end up having trouble with a garbage bag, my hands are already filthy. LOL. This is a good idea, and now I buy bags that have the ties on them or I cant tell which end is which..

Also most of the germs on the hands are under the nails so that is where most people go wrong, and hand sanitizers usually wont get under the nail unless you work it in under the nail and I don't know how safe that is. Apple Cider Vinegar is a natural and safe hand sanitizer and so is Listerene the amber liquid kind.

Blessings,

Robyn

By

Shelyn

For zimexlady. Trash bags or coated with germ killing chemicals! You should never put your mouth on a trash bag. It makes no difference if it was touched in the factory or not! I worked at state facility years ago and a guy put ice in a wastebasket liner for a get together. The six people that got ice out of that bag all ended up sick from those chemicals.

By

Shelyn

This is the most disgusting thing I've heard of! Your hands have been on the shopping cart and any item you have picked up or touched in general which has been already touched by who knows how many people! As a Dietary Manager, the one thing I know is that your fingers are the worse tools for spreading germs. Most grocers have a bottle of sanitizer on the counter, I use it, but the cashier or bag boy is usually the one to bag my groceries.

By

shirleyamh

Where I live the grocerys have lysol wipes to santitize the cart. So there that solves the problem of having a germy cart and hands. But what I do is breath heavy on my fingers then open the bag. It works every time and no germs enter my mouth.

By

paulajeromeg

Are you serious?

By

zimexlady

I lick a tiny spot on the bag top edge near the perforation then rub.together. The manner in which the dispenser holds the bag precludes anyone has touched the bag in that spot. Perhaps a machine roller did touch it but that is harmelss.

By

readingiggits

Uhhhh, one word on this one. Yuck!

By

T&T Grandma

I have finger disability/abilities and finger licking anywhere in public is gross. What have you touched in the last 10 minutes that everyone else did too? Simply rub the end of the bag between the thumb and fore finger, friction makes it come apart. One of the local grocery in our small town has sanitizer machines in every department to encourage less germs being passed around at the store. Use that if you need a wetting agent.

By

MartyD

Rather than lick my fingers I always take the bag in both hands and rumple it. If you get it really wrinkled then it will open more easily.

By

ladycase2

I agree that it is unsanitary, especially at the grocery store. I have arthritis in my hands and the way I open the bags is to dampen a paper towel before I leave home and put it into a sandwich bag. I keep it in my pocket or purse and just use it to dampen my fingers helping me to open those pesky bags.

By

ericalynn

I would not do this at the grocery store, maybe not even in my own home. Once you walk into a grocery store and touch a cart, it's all over. Sometimes if you blow on the produce bags it will separate them or if your fruits or vegetables are wet, use that. There are too many people and too many germs to be putting your fingers in your mouth out in public. I used to work at a grocery store and a clerk showed me how to lick your fingers to open the grocery bags that were stuck together. I watched in horror while she licked her fingers after touching the leaking meat trays, money, and produce that people put up on the counter all day! Very gross, unsanitary, and unhealthy. I used those moist tubs with the pink stuff that you rub your finger on to separate paper and plastic. Banks use them a lot. Just imagine if every other person who used your cart licked their fingers, how much saliva and germs are on the cart handle!

By

KimiSmith

One of my pet peeves is when the sales clerks lick their fingers to get a bag to put items I purchase in. This is very unsanitary. They should come up with a better solution. No one should be licking anything that others put their hands on.

By

kcarskc

I would never lick my fingers or even touch my face in the grocery store. My solution is to wet them with the produce itself. They are always spraying the produce so just run your hand over a wet product. I usually don't take those bags, though, because that's just more waste. They are nice for wet garbage while preparing a meal though!

By

NokomisNims

Hi, If you can't safely wet your fingers, try breathing on the edge of the bag (like you would to fog your glasses before wiping them off). Immediately put your thumb tip and index fingertip on opposite sides of the breathed-on spot and rub the bag between them to open the edges.
Nancy from NC

By

kareng17

If your hands are clean ok. If not just rub the bag between your hands. The bag will open enough to open it.

By

Deeli

Wetting your fingers really is a good idea and I do it even to separate coffee filters but I use tap water at home and now that I am disabled (lungs) I have to be really careful in public places about picking up germs. What I do is carry my own sanitary wipes or grab a couple that many grocery stores now supply when coming in the door to wipe down the cart handle but also grab that second one to carry while doing the shopping to wet fingers for things like opening the produce bags.

By

Debbie52

I would not do that in the grocery store. I don't think it even matters whether your hands are clean or not. I doubt mine would be as I have to touch things on the way to the produce section. Those produce bags, well who knows what's been on them or who's touched them or sneezed on them. I do not lick my hands out in public. At home when you can wash your hands or just wet fingers at the faucet is much safer.

By

skinnyjinny

I do this at home and, if I'm working in the garden, I wet my fingers at the outside tap. However, be careful of doing that at the supermarket. A friend did that and was unwell later. She reckoned maybe a bug had transferred from an item she'd put in her trolley.
In other words, never lick your fingers.