# Who believes/follows the 5 second rule?



## vitauta (Jan 11, 2012)

just wondering, how many people practice the five minute rule of eating food dropped on the floor...this theory holds that food that has fallen to the floor is still safe to eat if it is "rescued" in five seconds or less.  

i only first heard of this 5 second rule several months ago, when it was showcased on a tv show called what would you do...i was stunned.  how could anyone, i thought, believe such an obvious dirty little lie?  of course, at home i routinely drop and eat food off my own floor.  not to say that this is a hygienic or safe practice, but still...it's MY floor and my dirt.  

but the idea of the 5 minute rule still fascinated me for a bit.  even if i believed the rule and decided to try it out, i know it wouldn't work for me.  i know that from the moment the food hit the floor my mind would be furiously racing with questions:  what kind of food is it--wet or dry, soft or hard, how badly do i want it (cheese/chocolate or celery stick/lemon slice) and so on.  next, my mind would be frantically evaluating the floor itself--its location, its condition, its type (hardwood/concrete/carpet...and, of course, who is watching what i'm maybe about to do....

so, you see, all these considerations would take someone like me much longer than even a 30 second rule would allow.  i'd likely be pondering the proposition 
of the dropped food with all its variables, not for 5 seconds, but more like five minutes.  that food would go stale or somebody would step on it before i could make up my mind whether or not to eat it....

so, what do you all think about this sports-sounding five second rule of dropped food--is it fair or is it foul?  your call....


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## buckytom (Jan 11, 2012)

it depends on  many variables that require a differential equation to figure out.

first, is the food washable after being dropped, before it is cooked. what about afterwards? 

how dirty is the floor? are we camping, or are we in my mom's kitchen, which is suitable for performing neurosurgery

i wouldn't eat a fully cooked piece of chicken that was dropped while camping on the beach, but i'd lick up a s'more if i dropped it in my mom's kitchen, no hands needed...


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2012)

When I was a kid, it was the three second rule.  I guess we've all slowed down a couple of seconds.

If it's just me, I do the 5 second rule (or as long as it takes me to bend over and reach the floor).  If I'm cooking for others, never.


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 11, 2012)

Believe it or not, the 5-second rule has actually been thoroughly researched, and it's been determined that bacteria such as salmonella and e. coli can infect food in less than 5 seconds.

Five-second rule - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As for my own feelings, it depends on what I've dropped. If it's a piece of meat, forget about it. It goes in the trash. On the other hand, if it's a vegetable that I haven't yet peeled - for example, an onion or potato - I'll just wash it off and proceed with it. I figure my kitchen floor is cleaner than the dirt it grew in.

That's just what I do. YMMV.


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## Silversage (Jan 11, 2012)

If something falls on the floor, my dog grabs it before 5 seconds are up!


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 11, 2012)

Silversage said:


> If something falls on the floor, my dog grabs it before 5 seconds are up!


LOL... yah, no kiddin'. I have one of those "chow hounds" too.


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## Katie H (Jan 11, 2012)

We fall within the Andy M./buckytom range.

First, let me say that our kitchen floor gets scrubbed a minimum of once a week.  Many times multiple times.  Just because I'm a neat freak.  I can relate to bucky's mother.

Then, most of the time it's just the two of us and we have "inside" and "outside" shoes.  Although, most of the time neither of us wears shoes when we're inside.  Indoors, in the summer is bare feet.  In the colder months, just socks.

At any rate, we're usually pretty quick at retrieving anything that makes it way to the floor before much time elapses.  Seconds usually.  Never minutes.  I can't even begin to comprehend "minutes!"  What?  Are we waiting for the food to come back to the table/counter on its own?

Our general thoughts on the "food on the floor/ground" concept is that it all depends on what the food is (sticky, wet, dry, etc.), how it's handled after hitting the floor depends on its characteristic.  Same for the surface it lands on.

As someone already mentioned, different rules apply when dropping food while camping or at the beach.  Except, as bucky pointed out, the condition of the surface on which the food is dropped definitely allows for some latitude in one's decision as to whether to eat or not eat.

In many aspects of our daily lives, I often am amazed at how hinky folks get because something is deemed unsafe/unhealthy, etc.  Well, guess what?  Somehow I don't think the Pilgrims or pioneers were as sterile as we are today.  Yes, I know, their life expectancy was lower than ours is today, but I still think we need to put things into a less clinical perspective when it comes to such things as the "5-second rule" or whatever it may be called.

Plus, I remember very vividly listening to my father (a physician) comment when I was young that he felt humankind was being sanitized beyond necessity.  "How can our immune systems be maintained if everything is cleaned to death," he would say.

Oops, sorry.  I'll get off my soapbox now. I dropped my toast anyway.  Gotta blow on it real good so I can finish my breakfast.  Cool, too.  It landed butter-side up.


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## CharlieD (Jan 11, 2012)

I cannot stay that I believe it, but I certainly do fallow it. Dirt gets on food the moment the food hits the floor, 5 second or more. I mostly go by what it is that fell on the floor and what floor or where. I remember we were visiting my friends for a dinner one evening. Our daughters were about 2 or so. They are very close in age. And somebody dropped some food on the floor. By the time one of the husbands, that's me or the other guy, got up to go get a broom, girls ate everything. We were just laughing about, what terrible parents we are. Girls were perfectly fine and happy. Cannot say that their floor was the example of cleanliness either.


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## Alix (Jan 11, 2012)

LMAO at BT and the neurosurgery comment. I have friends like that. 

OK, at the risk of grossing out many of you clean freaks out there, I routinely abide by the 5 second rule. Although in our house, you'd better make it more like 5 NANOseconds or the dog will eat it first. We usually only move THAT fast if its chocolate or something else that might make Murray sick. Having said that, did I mention I live with a dog? A very, very VERY hairy dog? It doesn't matter how often I vacuum, sweep, roomba and wash my floors, the dog is a giant walking dust bunny. I have probably ingested more hair than any person should admit to. If I see the hair on my food, I pick it off, but really, it aint gonna kill me. I figure if I can tolerate that, there isn't much on my floor that is worse. 

I don't do the 5 second rule anywhere but home though.


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## pacanis (Jan 11, 2012)

I'm not very worried about germs and such. But that doesn't mean I'll eat whatever is dropped. It depends what it is and where it lands. 
I dropped a whole beer can chicken before. It was fully cooked and I was elbowing the storm door with one elbow and it slid right off that stupid, little, Steve Raichlen BCC rack. I fully blame him  I could have peeled the skin off, but I threw it out. More out of frustration than anything. Along with the rack! Probably in under five seconds, too!


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

A point I think that has been missed; Most people walk into their kitchen with the same shoes on that they have walked around in town wearing.

Not to gross out anyone, but that spot near the little tavern downtown that 45 drunks have vomited on and 50 others have urinated on...A spec of that gagness might have clung to your shoes and scrapped off onto your kitchen floor. Ever wonder what it is that dogs find so fasinating about sniffing your shoes? They can smell the crap you've walked in throughout your day! 

I don't care how slim the chance, I'm not eating some drunks vomit or pee. People spit on the sidewalk all the time. Yucko! No piece of food is worth the amount of problems eating something really bad can do to you.

Sorry, if something falls onto my floor, it gets thrown into the trash bin.

I don't care what it is or how long it contacted the floor.

<Gag> <Retch>


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## Alix (Jan 11, 2012)

People wear their shoes in their HOUSE????? You're just messing with me aren't you Timothy?


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## Katie H (Jan 11, 2012)

Alix said:


> People wear their shoes in their HOUSE????? You're just messing with me aren't you Timothy?



Me, too, Alix.  See my post re: shoes inside.  Just funnin'.  But, we rarely wear shoes inside, but to each his own.

Although, we live waaaaaay out in the country/county and, thankfully foodwise, the nearest watering hole (bar) is nearly 50 miles away.  We live in a dry county in the Bible Belt, so "spirits" are frowned upon in our neck of the woods.


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

Alix said:


> People wear their shoes in their HOUSE????? You're just messing with me aren't you Timothy?


I don't know how you do it, but when I"m carrying in 14 bags of groceries, I don't stop, take off my shoes at the door and then go into the kitchen to set down the bags on each of 5 trips. I have my outside shoes on the entire time.

Do you really take  off your shoes every time you enter your home? Everyone who enters your home removes their shoes first? How cool is that? Do you keep slippers near the front door like in Japan? I've always thought of doing that, but have never implemented it yet.


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2012)

Timothy said:


> ...Do you really take  off your shoes every time you enter your home? Everyone who enters your home removes their shoes first? How cool is that? Do you keep slippers near the front door like in Japan? I've always thought of doing that, but have never implemented it yet.




We do.  It's so much more comfortable!  

We do not require our guest to do so.  It's not an issue of protecting our floors so much as a matter of comfort.  Of course, if guests want to take off their shoes, it OK with us.  Our grandson now takes his shoes off automatically when he's here.


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> We do. It's so much more comfortable!
> 
> We do not require our guest to do so. It's not an issue of protecting our floors so much as a matter of comfort. Of course, if guests want to take off their shoes, it OK with us. Our grandson now takes his shoes off automatically when he's here.


 
So, as in my example, you remove your shoes each trip in the house when you're carrying in supplies from the car? Then put them back on to go out for the next trip? I've never seen anyone do that.


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2012)

Timothy said:


> So, as in my example, you remove your shoes each trip in the house when you're carrying in supplies from the car? Then put them back on to go out for the next trip? I've never seen anyone do that.




Neither have I.  Let's not get absurd about this.  Your point about tracking in nasties on your shoes is valid.  My point about not wearing shoes in the house is as well.  I didn't present my post as a rebuttal to yours.  I was responding to Alix's and Katie's posts.


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## roadfix (Jan 11, 2012)

If I have guests around the 5 second rule applies.  Otherwise, I go commando....no time limit.


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## roadfix (Jan 11, 2012)

As far as wearing shoes in the house we take ours off and walk around in slippers like they do in Japan.  Guests and other family members who visit us, however, have the option of doing so if they desire.
If we did not have carpeting we wouldn't mind the shoes.  The other factor is comfort.  I don't like lounging around with shoes on.


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> Neither have I. Let's not get absurd about this. Your point about tracking in nasties on your shoes is valid. My point about not wearing shoes in the house is as well. I didn't present my post as a rebuttal to yours. I was responding to Alix's and Katie's posts.


 
Thanks for clarifying, Andy. I really did wonder if anyone DID remove their shoes every single time they entered their home. 

After I've removed the rest of the carpet from my home and installed the ceramic tiles throughout the house, I will also implement the "No shoes" habit. It's one of the most attractive parts of Japanese culture that I admire.

I wasn't intending to sound argumentative in my post. As an old retired Database guy, I'm a stickler for details. If I sense that a "field" has been left empty, I ask for the data to fill it until all information has been supplied. A habit that many find irritating, but developed over many decades of information gathering.

I apologize if I irritated you needlessly.


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## vitauta (Jan 11, 2012)

from now on, andy, we will irritate you only when it is absolutely necessary....


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## pacanis (Jan 11, 2012)

roadfix said:


> If I have guests around the 5 second rule applies. *Otherwise, I go commando*....no time limit.


 
Let's not go there, Roadie...


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

vitauta said:


> from now on, andy, we will irritate you only when it is absolutely necessary....


 
You never miss a chance, do you?


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## Alix (Jan 11, 2012)

Yes, I take off my shoes every time I enter the house. So does every other member of my family and every other person I know. No one wears their shoes in their house around here. That would be considered very rude. There have been rare occasions when my DH would forget something and run in and out with his shoes on, but he gets the gears when he does. I have shoe racks at each door, a deacon's bench to sit on to take off or put on your shoes and big doormats. I've recently had a LOT of workmen (furnace) through my house and they brought special booties to slip on over their workboots so they wouldn't have to take them off and put them on again every time they needed to go in and out. However, they were meticulous about booties on inside and off before they went out. Shoes in the house is a BIG faux pas around here.  

Hope I haven't offended you folks who wear your shoes indoors, but that has never been part of my experience. I suspect it has something to do with the climates we live in. I'm certainly not going to traipse through my kitchen or any part of my house wearing my Sorels. Nope.


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

Alix said:


> Yes, I take off my shoes every time I enter the house. So does every other member of my family and every other person I know. No one wears their shoes in their house around here. That would be considered very rude. There have been rare occasions when my DH would forget something and run in and out with his shoes on, but he gets the gears when he does. I have shoe racks at each door, a deacon's bench to sit on to take off or put on your shoes and big doormats. I've recently had a LOT of workmen (furnace) through my house and they brought special booties to slip on over their workboots so they wouldn't have to take them off and put them on again every time they needed to go in and out. However, they were meticulous about booties on inside and off before they went out. Shoes in the house is a BIG faux pas around here.
> 
> Hope I haven't offended you folks who wear your shoes indoors, but that has never been part of my experience. I suspect it has something to do with the climates we live in. I'm certainly not going to traipse through my kitchen or any part of my house wearing my Sorels. Nope.


 
Just curious, Alix, if you had to make 5 trips to carry in supplies from the car, you would remove your shoes each time you re-entered the house and put your slippers on? Most people I know would just get the job done and then do a light mopping of the tracked area.


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## roadfix (Jan 11, 2012)

In school, every time we had an assembly or pep rally in the gymnasium we all had to remove our shoes so as not to mar the gym floor with our soles.  With 300 hundred students with their shoes removed confined in the small gymnasium the place used to stink like crazy.
I hated that.  But I had a friend who loved smelly feet.  Kinky.


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## Alix (Jan 11, 2012)

Timothy said:


> Just curious, Alix, if you had to make 5 trips to carry in supplies from the car, you would remove your shoes each time you re-entered the house and put your slippers on? Most people I know would just get the job done and then do a light mopping of the tracked area.



Why would I need to make 5 trips INTO the house? I have a large mat at each door. I bring all the groceries into the house and set them on the floor, making as many trips as needed, then I remove my shoes (I don't wear slippers, socks or bare feet are sufficient) and put things away. Why would I needlessly track dirt or snow into my house? Living in Florida perhaps it would be different, but here, if I walked through my house 5 times to put things away that would not be a SMALL mess. As I said Timothy, walking through someone's house with your shoes on is a major faux pas here. Clearly your culture is different.


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## roadfix (Jan 11, 2012)

As far as making multiple trips into the house after shopping at Costco, I usually unload everything in the attached garage first, then make multiple runs from the garage to the kitchen with no shoes, just indoor slippers.  But I know how inconvenient that can be, having to remove and put on shoes while making those multiple trips.  Slippers (for outdoors) can be used in those instances.


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## Silversage (Jan 11, 2012)

I live in Florida and I've solved the problem in a different way.  I take my shoes off when I get home, and make multiple trips to the car in my bare feet.  Then I never worry about dirty shoes in my house.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 11, 2012)

I've always thought of the "5 second rule" as a joke, or maybe an excuse that the person is going to eat it anyway so "ha ha, 5 second rule."

It's silly to think that there's some set time that grime and germs from the floor take to infect food. If the food is on the floor it has already gotten some of the stuff on the food surface. If it can't be washed (e.g. raw vegetables) then the only choices are either discard it or eat it germs and all.

I mostly prefer socks or bare feet in my house but I wear my shoes in and out and I presume whatever I stepped in at the street, market or any other place is on the bottom of my shoes. (How about public restrooms?) And even if I took off my shoes inside the house without fail, what about my dog? Take his feet off? Wash them every time he's been outside?

Sometimes you have little choice. In my many years of camping I remember twice dropping my steak on the ground. Each time it fell in the dirt next to or under the campground table, both times I was many hours round trip from a market, both times it was either eat it or go without meat. One time I had dropped my steak before cooking it (it was raw). The other time I had dropped it between grill and plate. I'm saddened to say that I know from personal experience that if you're going to drop your steak in the dirt and then eat it, do it before you cook it. Washing works better on a raw steak than on a cooked steak. It's easier to get grit out of a raw steak and you can imagine that the heat from the fire sterilizes it.

I'm a germophobe. Almost nobody cleans vegetables better than me. I would never eat anything that fell on the floor or on the ground except as in my camping story above. (And I must have learned something because it happened only twice in many, many years.)

There's no 5 second rule. If it lands on the floor it's already dirty, may have germs, and your only choice is to eat it or not.

I don't want to see food that fell on the floor on my plate! (Wait, that's a different topic!!!)


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2012)

Clearly, the moral of your story is, "Don't go camping."


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## Alix (Jan 11, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> Clearly, the moral of your story is, "Don't go camping."



I'm down with that.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 11, 2012)

Andy, the rule is be careful when you're cooking and camping, particularly when you have few food choices restricted to what you brought along, and very particularly if you're camping many hours away from stores. (Usually the case for me.) In these circumstances the 5 second rule is superfluous. Your choice can sometimes become eat it even if it fell on the ground no matter how long there. The new rule becomes pick it up and wash it off as quickly as possible, then eat it.

My mom used to have a saying: "Every person must eat a pound of dirt before they die." I think one way or another that's true.


Anyway I'm currently burned out on camping, for reasons too lengthy and off topic to go into here. Maybe I'll go again some day, maybe not, or maybe I'll visit the same beautiful places and then stay at a hotel and eat in the dining room. And I'll hope they don't have some version of the 5 second rule in the kitchen.


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## Timothy (Jan 11, 2012)

Alix said:


> Why would I need to make 5 trips INTO the house? I have a large mat at each door. I bring all the groceries into the house and set them on the floor, making as many trips as needed, then I remove my shoes (I don't wear slippers, socks or bare feet are sufficient) and put things away. Why would I needlessly track dirt or snow into my house? Living in Florida perhaps it would be different, but here, if I walked through my house 5 times to put things away that would not be a SMALL mess. As I said Timothy, walking through someone's house with your shoes on is a major faux pas here. Clearly your culture is different.


 
Pretty much in Florida, as a guest, you're expected to wipe your shoes off very well, on a supplied door mat. Then, unless the home owner requests you to remove your shoes, you go on in.

If it's really nasty out with our usual summertime rains, you supply multiple door mats. One for wet feet, then another to finish wiping them until they're dry. If your shoes are a total mess, then removing your shoes is a consideration to the home owner.


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## buckytom (Jan 11, 2012)

we take our shoes off every time we come into the house. we both keep a pair of slip on shoes to change into (mine are moccasins) for the multiple trips in and out so they can  easily be put on/taken off for each trip.

problem solved, anus relaxed.


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## vitauta (Jan 11, 2012)

in all my homes and all my friend's homes throughout the years, it would have been rude (and offensive) to take off one's shoes in the house--barring some type of medical excuse, or a special situation involving painful or swollen feet, perhaps.  no one would think of walking around your house in sweaty socks or bare feet, nor park their (often) smelly sneakers or boots in a designated place upon entering your home.  maybe if you and your guests always socialized in your stocking feet, you would also be prompted to use more care and deodorizing of your feet and footwear.  

there are also considerations of dirty and holey socks, getting runs in expensive hose, foot diseases, ugly exposed feet, some people's foot fetishes, etc.....

just as some people's feet are dirty and/or sweaty, some people's floors and carpets are filthy and covered with pet hair, and worse.  aren't there places you simply wouldn't want to walk around in unclad feet?

i realize i'm really rambling and disorganized in this post, and that's because i'm only beginning to give this matter any kind of serious thought for the first time.
i'm really not sure what my thinking will be once i've read and listened to the opinions of some of the folks out there who would ban or discourage the wearing of shoes in their homes....

again please forgive my incoherent writing in this post--i just don't want to rewrite the whole thing, and there may actually be a valid thought or two contained somewhere in here....


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 11, 2012)

I think this is how the butter battle started!

Dr. Seuss was a smart fella!


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## Addie (Jan 11, 2012)

Let's see. As a child I learned that  you had to kiss it up to God, then eat it. And our parents always said, "You have to eat a peck of dirt before you die." I am still working on my peck. And since God didn't cook it, he didn't really care.


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## sparrowgrass (Jan 11, 2012)

I have lived all over the country, and seldom ran into the 'shoes off before entering' rule until I moved to Ely MN--way up north.  Snow + the salt/grit used on the road made an awful mess if shoes/boots were worn indoors.  Of course, that rule only applied in the winter (which was about 9 months of the year)--shoes were ok in the summer.


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## Alix (Jan 11, 2012)

I did mention this was likely a cultural thing right? For goodness sakes people, take your cue from your host. If I greet you in sock feet, please don't wear your shoes in my house. Similarly, if I come to your house and you're wearing shoes, I won't gross you out with my sock feet. I won't be observing the 5 second rule in your house either though.


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## taxlady (Jan 11, 2012)

I think the 5 second rule is just so you know that it recently fell on the floor. If you went around picking up any old piece of food off the floor, it might have been there a long time.

For me it depends on a number of things: Is it just for me or is it for someone else? Can it be washed? Did it pick up cat hair? Am I going to cook it? Do I have more, or was that all of it? How broke am I? How much do I like it? How dirty does it look?


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## Addie (Jan 11, 2012)

In Hawaii, everyone wears flip flops, some more stylish than others. Everyone takes off their FF at the door. The polite thing to do is to make sure you take your own, and not another's when leaving. Even in the business world, FF are removed before entering the office. The strangest sight I saw when living there was business men lined up at the bus stop in business suits with ties and FF on. And down of Fourth Street, is where the Asians wait. They squat down on the curb with their briefcases beside them and dressed accordingly as stated. 

When I came back to the mainland in the middle of February, it was a hard habit to break. Specially since there was snow everywhere. I kept leaving my shoes outside.


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## Skittle68 (Jan 11, 2012)

When I'm making trips to the car with bags of groceries, I set them in the entryway, then when all the bags are in the house, take off my shoes and carry them into the kitchen. It's mostly out of habit, since 9 months out of the year I have salt and snow to deal with. If my shoes are dry, and I remember something I need to grab after I already have my shoes on, I might just go grab it. Plus, we have cats that have a cat door. They certainly don't wipe their feet.  So for me the 5 second rule would depend on: a) how recently did I wash my floor? And b) what was it that I dropped?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 11, 2012)

I have inside only cats, so the cat hair problem...and the litter box.  I still take my work shoes off in the back of the car, because I know where they have been.  I have a pair of "car" shoes that I wear shopping and to the door.  Shrek walks in changes to indoor shoes and shuttles bags from the door and further into the kitchen.  I run back and forth.  I rarely have anything on my feet in the house.  My work shoes never make it in the house once worn at work.


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## chopper (Jan 11, 2012)

Wow. Who would have ever guessed that this could have been talked about for several pages. It was like a train wreck for me. I just couldn't look away and read the whole thing, and I will still probably eat things after dropping them on the floor. It's gross anywhere, but I know me. BTW, even places where people are not wearing shoes the floor is still gross-from feet!   I know some people who would throw away a carrot after dropping it on the floor:  it grew in dirt. I would think you could just wash it off.


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## vitauta (Jan 12, 2012)

Alix said:


> I did mention this was likely a cultural thing right? For goodness sakes people, take your cue from your host. If I greet you in sock feet, please don't wear your shoes in my house. Similarly, if I come to your house and you're wearing shoes, I won't gross you out with my sock feet. I won't be observing the 5 second rule in your house either though.



if, after all of this brouhaha about shoes/not shoes, you still invite me to your home, alix, i will bring along a pair of my indoor shoes, a bottle of good wine, a six-pack of beer and a roomba.  we can have a good talk and a laugh about our cultures, and maybe even eat some of your famous lemon bars(?)


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Timothy said:


> So, as in my example, you remove your shoes each trip in the house when you're carrying in supplies from the car? Then put them back on to go out for the next trip? I've never seen anyone do that.


I bring the groceries in, park the bags by the door, and go out for the rest. Once everything is inside, I take off my shoes and put away the groceries. I have shoes that are never worn outside. I also wear slippers in the house and have "guest" slipper socks for when friends visit. I take my "barn boots" off outside (in the summer kitchen) and they stay in the summer kitchen. I wash my hands (up to my elbows) after every trip to the barn and I don't wear my barn coat except for trips to the barn. I also steam mop (love my Shark Vac-N-Steam) the kitchen floor at least once a day (I can't go to bed until the floor's been vac'd and steamed and the dishes are done). I use a clean "mop pad" every day, sometimes 2-3 / day just for the kitchen (I spilled some juice on the floor this a.m., so I fired up the mop and mopped the floor...I'll do it again before I go to bed...) especially during "mud season" when the dogs are in and out. Come to think of it, my kitchen floor is cleaned more often than I wash my sheets...I'm not a neat freak, but part of doing dishes after supper included sweeping and mopping the kitchen floor. A habit I guess I acquired.


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## Timothy (Jan 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I also steam mop (love my Shark Vac-N-Steam) the kitchen floor at least once a day.


 
What a cool cleaning gadget. I just watched the youtube demo of it. What does it cost? I'll be buying one of these!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Timothy said:


> What a cool cleaning gadget. I just watched the youtube demo of it. What does it cost? I'll be buying one of these!


I think they are around $149, but they go on sale every now and again. I bought one in August for my mom because she can't drag the mop and bucket out. I leave mine plugged in all the time. It only takes about 30 seconds for it to be ready to mop (I have to admit, I use it more for mopping than vacuuming--because I send the IRoomba out to vaccum). I also have a Swifter vac-mop, but that's used for light jobs (and you have to keep buying the pads). 

I actually have two of the Shark vac-n-Steams. This means I have 8 pads. I keep one upstairs and the other one I keep downstairs. When I take back the house in the City in May, one will go with me, the other will live at the farm. I'll probably take 6 pads back to the house in the City, and leave 2 here. I toss the pads in the washer when 3-4 of them are dirty. I wash them separately (no clothes, dish towels, etc.). You can buy extra pads. I also have one of the shark steamers. It isn't as convenient to use as the Vac-n-Steam mop, but is great for doing windows. I don't want to spend more time cleaning than I must and these tools save me time (and elbow grease--I have a back issue, so they really have made cleaning the Saint drool off the walls, etc., a lot easier on my back). I got my mom's at Walmart in MN.

Because I have environmental allergies, I really like using steam to clean. I've had one of the vac-n-steams for over 2 years. It handles the Saint hair and sand. You just have to empty it. I wash the "foam" filter every month by hand. I use the one downstairs every day.


----------



## taxlady (Jan 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> ...
> 
> I also have one of the shark steamers. It isn't as convenient to use as the Vac-n-Steam mop, but is great for doing windows.
> ...



Do you ever use the Shark steamer to steam wrinkles out of your clothes? If so, how good a job does it do?


----------



## roadfix (Jan 12, 2012)

Lacing hiking boots can be a PIA.  When I put them on I don't expect to be back home for several hours.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

taxlady said:


> Do you ever use the Shark steamer to steam wrinkles out of your clothes? If so, how good a job does it do?


I've used it on curtains...I wear dog clothes most of the time...so I don't iron, it worked great on the curtains. However, I use the Shark steamer to clean the shower (works great), the stove, and my favorite, the little grooves in vinyl windows to get all that winter dirt out. And you would not believe how well it works on VariKennels (dog crates). It was worth the money (I am on my 2nd one). It is like having a pressure washer in the house. I've brought that to my mom's in MN to do her windows (I have to say, doing windows with it is probably my favorite use for it). I used it to clean the cabin in 2010. I was done cleaning in about 90 minutes--shower, stove, floors, windows. Down side is that you do have to empty it after you use it and it takes longer to heat up than the Vac-n-Steam if all you want to do is steam the floors.


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## Timothy (Jan 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I think they are around $149...


 
Thanks CWS, I'll be buying one of these! I'm installing ceramic tile throughout the entire house, so it'll get used a lot.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Timothy said:


> Thanks CWS, I'll be buying one of these! I'm installing ceramic tile throughout the entire house, so it'll get used a lot.


It works great on tile and hardwood. You might want to rethink ceramic tile in the kitchen--go with stone or hardwood. If you drop something heavy on a ceramic floor, the tile will crack/break. And, consider ditra mat under the tile.


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## Hammster (Jan 12, 2012)

Apologies if this has already been covered in this thread, but there are a lot of shoes on/off posts I chose not to read. Anyway, Mythbusters busted the 5 second rule. Time wasn't an issue when it came to how much bacteria a food product collected. What was the bigger issue was how wet or dry the food product is as to how much it would collect. If the food is dry it can pretty much lay around all day. If the food is wet, probably should pick it up as soon as you can. Although if it takes a little more than 5 seconds, it's not a big deal. I'll generally rinse off something that's wet or has more moisture in it and continue to use it. Something dry, if I don't see anything obvious on it, gets used as is.

From Wikipedia. 
Myth statement - The "Five-second rule" is valid when it comes to food dropped on the floor.
Status - Busted
Notes - This myth yielded a varied number of results, but in the definitive test where the only variable was time, the myth was definitively busted. There was no real difference in the number of bacteria collected from 2 seconds exposure as there was from 6 seconds exposure. Instead, the texture and moisture inherent to the food dropped dictate the amount of bacteria collected.


----------



## Timothy (Jan 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> It works great on tile and hardwood. You might want to rethink ceramic tile in the kitchen--go with stone or hardwood. If you drop something heavy on a ceramic floor, the tile will crack/break. And, consider ditra mat under the tile.


 
I may go with laminate, CWS. It depends on if I can find the color I want. The tile I had picked out was off-white with black specs in it. I want to use nice, bright, light color.


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## Addie (Jan 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> It works great on tile and hardwood. You might want to rethink ceramic tile in the kitchen--go with stone or hardwood. If you drop something heavy on a ceramic floor, the tile will crack/break. And, consider ditra mat under the tile.


 
Have to agree about the tile in the kitchen. Son #2 is a floor man. Carpets, wood, tile, etc. He gets paid more money for putting in tile, but always tries to talk the customer out of putting ceeramic tile in the kitchen for the stated reasons. Then it becomes more costly to replace the broken tile. Also, installing ceramic tile is a two day job. First day installing the tile, second day grouting. And if you insist on a total job, third day removing the haze. He advises that you do that yourself. Saves you money. Customers appreciate that. Also, liquids spilled in the kitchen will eventually loosen the grout. That means that the tile has to be lifted, hopefully in one piece without cracking or breaking, new base applied, and then grouted. With any luck, you will be able to find the same shade of grout. 

Make sure your installer leaves extra tiles and grout with you so you can fill in any areas that loosen over time. If he over buys, keep at least a half of box. Most tile men don't like to leave any extras. An ethical one will have no problem doing so. 

Son #1 is a contractor and says the same thing. And he also leaves any extra paint so that the home owner can touch up any spots over time. Any good contractor will do this. Son #1 always works for the customer, not the bottom line.


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## Andy M. (Jan 12, 2012)

I would hesitate to use a steamer on a hardwood floor.  Water is the enemy of wood.  Steam can penetrate the cracks and cause damage/swelling to the wood.  Maybe not right away but over time.

I have a ceramic tile floor in both baths and the kitchen.  I much prefer it to the laminate (linoleum) floor I had in the kitchen before.  The contractor put in a new firm sub-floor and sealed the grout to prevent staining.

Damage can still happen but it's not likely.  And in in the mean time, I have a nice water and stain-resitant floor.

JMHO.


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## Alix (Jan 12, 2012)

vitauta said:


> if, after all of this brouhaha about shoes/not shoes, you still invite me to your home, alix, i will bring along a pair of my indoor shoes, a bottle of good wine, a six-pack of beer and a roomba.  we can have a good talk and a laugh about our cultures, and maybe even eat some of your famous lemon bars(?)



Dear lady, I have a roomba, you are always invited, and I'll make us the full meal deal to go along with the wine. We might even get really twisted and go out onto the patio and make everyone twitch coming in and out. Heeheehee. Just let me know when you are coming and I'll make sure to prep some food we'll both like!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Timothy said:


> I may go with laminate, CWS. It depends on if I can find the color I want. The tile I had picked out was off-white with black specs in it. I want to use nice, bright, light color.


The Vac-n-steam works great on laminate. I don't like laminate--I don't like the "clicking" sound of the dogs' nails on it. I put that in the house in the City and am replacing it with hardwood. My old dogs had problems with the laminate--they had a hard time getting up off of it, so I had to put down rubber mats for them. The same was true re: the old dogs of a friend who also had laminate. Hardwood seems to offer more of a grip...But, you have cats, so that would not be a problem. Cork is another option. I've had friends who had cork floors and really liked them. And, the Saints had no problem when they got old re: getting up off the cork floor.


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## Alix (Jan 12, 2012)

I've got a Shark too. Best investment for floors (except the roomba) we made. Andy, I use it on my hardwood as it dries very quickly. If your hardwood is well sealed this isn't a big issue. I certainly don't do it every day, but it has held up to the shark steam for a good long while. 

Ok, thanks to the brilliant person who suggested using it to steam clothes! I had never thought of that, and now I'm all excited to give it a go. I loathe and despise ironing but steaming stuff is FUN. 

And holy cow, did we derail this thread or what? Perhaps all the shoe stuff should have its own thread? Sorry about that!

Edit: I also intended to say that when we bought our house it had ceramic on the kitchen floor and it was AWFUL. If you didn't break whatever item you dropped you risked breaking the tiles. It was also very hard on the feet and back and cold as blazes in the winter. I would never put tile in the kitchen again. It looks beautiful, but it is not as practical as you would think.


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## Skittle68 (Jan 12, 2012)

So many of you seem to have roombas- I've been thinking about getting one, but I have very long, thick hair, and I worry about having to constantly clean out the brushes. Plus I have two floors in my house, with small rooms, all of which have a different type of flooring, which is connected with a raised cover in every doorway :/ (the owners of this house thought they were "handy") so I would have to babysit it and shuffle it from room to room, being forced to listen to the sound of a vacuum cleaner the entire time. Thinking about getting a cordless stick vac instead. Any thoughts?

(I would be using a hard floor attachment for the stick vac that uses pure suction, no brushes)


----------



## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> I would hesitate to use a steamer on a hardwood floor.  Water is the enemy of wood.  Steam can penetrate the cracks and cause damage/swelling to the wood.  Maybe not right away but over time.
> 
> I have a ceramic tile floor in both baths and the kitchen.  I much prefer it to the laminate (linoleum) floor I had in the kitchen before.  The contractor put in a new firm sub-floor and sealed the grout to prevent staining.
> 
> ...


The amount of water that is expelled is not a lot, a lot less than when using a mop. The hardwood floors I have are "self-engineered" in that the wood was milled in the saw mill, we sealed it with 4-5 coats of varnish. I love the steamer. The floors are dry in about 5-6 minutes. And, the steamer doesn't damage the floors--they haven't warped and the finish looks as nice today as it did when it went on.


----------



## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Re: the Roomba. Just keep some cardboard boxes on hand and block the "steps." That's what I do. I don't have to babysit it.


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## Timothy (Jan 12, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Re: the Roomba. Just keep some cardboard boxes on hand and block the "steps." That's what I do. I don't have to babysit it.


I was under the impression that the roomba was able to detect stairs and turn away from them. Does it not work that way?


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## Andy M. (Jan 12, 2012)

Timothy said:


> I was under the impression that the roomba was able to detect stairs and turn away from them. Does it not work that way?



That's how it works for my neighbor.  Roomba reaches the edge of the cliff and turns back.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

I just can't be bothered to use the "towers" (they use batteries) to block the stairs. My mom uses a baby gate instead of leaving the towers in place.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 12, 2012)

If your Roomba falls down the stairs and you pick it up within 5 seconds it doesn't count.


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## Skittle68 (Jan 12, 2012)

I'm not worried about the stairs- there is a raised floor piece in the doorway from the first room, into the stairwell (like in every other doorway in the house) so it wouldn't be able to reach the top of the stairs. I'm more worried that it would be more work to maintain the roomba, and shuffle it between the five rooms in my house I would like to use it for than it would be to whip out the cordless stick vac for a quick sweep of the floor. I decided on the dyson cordless stick vac. Picked it up today  plus I don't want to listen to the roomba vacuuming for hours. I used to have a friend that had one, and they seemed to have it going every time I was there and it was incredibly annoying. Everyone's priorities are different.  I can use the stick vac in the bathroom too, and I imagine the roomba wouldn't be very efficient in our tiny maze-like bathrooms lol.  Our house has a very odd floor plan


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## Sir_Loin_of_Beef (Jan 12, 2012)

I have 5 cats, two of them long hairs. You drop something and it don't even get to the floor without a fur coat.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> I'm not worried about the stairs- there is a raised floor piece in the doorway from the first room, into the stairwell (like in every other doorway in the house) so it wouldn't be able to reach the top of the stairs. I'm more worried that it would be more work to maintain the roomba, and shuffle it between the five rooms in my house I would like to use it for than it would be to whip out the cordless stick vac for a quick sweep of the floor. I decided on the dyson cordless stick vac. Picked it up today  plus I don't want to listen to the roomba vacuuming for hours. I used to have a friend that had one, and they seemed to have it going every time I was there and it was incredibly annoying. Everyone's priorities are different.  I can use the stick vac in the bathroom too, and I imagine the roomba wouldn't be very efficient in our tiny maze-like bathrooms lol.  Our house has a very odd floor plan


I lock the Roomba in the bathroom and go get it when I think about it. My mom's Roomba is a lot quieter than mine (purchased in 2010). I really like that it goes under furniture...I've jacked up the few pieces using cardboard coasters it couldn't get under. Given that I have dogs, I have to empty mine about every 45 minutes. My mom's will do the entire upstairs without complaining that it needs to be emptied. It only takes a couple of minutes to empty it and clean the brushes.


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## vitauta (Jan 12, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> If your Roomba falls down the stairs and you pick it up within 5 seconds it doesn't count.



good one, greg!


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## Alix (Jan 12, 2012)

Our roomba detects stairs. There are no tower things, you just have to adjust a couple of sensors on the bottom of the unit so it can tell the difference between floor and stairs. Its amazing. I'm of the "empty every 45 minutes" category as well. Hairy dog, hairy children...nuff said. 

GG, LOL to the "5 second rule" on the stairs!


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## buckytom (Jan 12, 2012)

we bought my mom, the kitchen neurosurgeon, a shark steamer thing for christmas.

by the 27th, mom had called to tell us how much she loved it!

she did her kitchen and bathroom floors and was astounded at how dirty the pads were, so she did the floors 2 or 3 times more until the pads came out perfectly clean after use, lol.


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## Addie (Jan 12, 2012)

buckytom said:


> we bought my mom, the kitchen neurosurgeon, a shark steamer thing for christmas.
> 
> by the 27th, mom had called to tell us how much she loved it!
> 
> she did her kitchen and bathroom floors and was astounded at how dirty the pads were, so she did the floors 2 or 3 times more until the pads came out perfectly clean after use, lol.


 
Buckytom, was looking at some models at Amazon. What model did you get your mother? I have a galley kitchen and a bathroom. Would be perfect for those two areas. I have nice kids who will buy it for me for my birthday in March. I just haven't told them yet.


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## Timothy (Jan 12, 2012)

This group is costing me a lot in new appliances!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Addie said:


> Buckytom, was looking at some models at Amazon. What model did you get your mother? I have a galley kitchen and a bathroom. Would be perfect for those two areas. I have nice kids who will buy it for me for my birthday in March. I just haven't told them yet.


Mine's purple--I didn't know there are different models...


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## no mayonnaise (Jan 12, 2012)

Once food touches the floor it goes in the garbage, no exceptions.  Gotta be extra careful with the truffles!


----------



## Al Pine (Jan 12, 2012)




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## Andy M. (Jan 12, 2012)

Al Pine said:


>




FINALLY!!!  A definitive answer.

Thank you,


----------



## CWS4322 (Jan 12, 2012)

Andy M. said:


> FINALLY!!!  A definitive answer.
> 
> Thank you,


----------



## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 12, 2012)

I don't care if anybody's watching. I don't covet any desire to eat stuff off the floor. I'd do it only if camping and only if I had no choice to do without or eat what I have.

I'm amazed that anybody would eat stuff off the floor, unless there's some special circumstance (camping).


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## taxlady (Jan 12, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I don't care if anybody's watching. I don't covet any desire to eat stuff off the floor. I'd do it only if camping and only if I had no choice to do without or eat what I have.
> 
> I'm amazed that anybody would eat stuff off the floor, unless there's some special circumstance (camping).



So, if a whole bag of potatoes or carrots gets dropped and explodes on your floor do you just throw it out?


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## buckytom (Jan 12, 2012)

Addie said:


> Buckytom, was looking at some models at Amazon. What model did you get your mother? I have a galley kitchen and a bathroom. Would be perfect for those two areas. I have nice kids who will buy it for me for my birthday in March. I just haven't told them yet.



addie, dw has the shark steam mop model #s3501. i think we bought the same model for my mom, but when dw bought her's a year or so ago it came with interchangeable heads: a rectangular one and a triangular one. my mom's only came with the rectangular one, but i believe the rest of the unit is the same.

there's a newer model out that supposedly gets the steam even hotter to guarantee disinfection, but it seemed flimsy so we got the older model for mom. the older one runs anywhere from $80 on sale to around $120 full price.

but you make your money back on all of the food you can eat that drops on the floor over time..


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## vitauta (Jan 13, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I don't care if anybody's watching. I don't covet any desire to eat stuff off the floor. I'd do it only if camping and only if I had no choice to do without or eat what I have.
> 
> I'm amazed that anybody would eat stuff off the floor, unless there's some special circumstance (camping).




one happy camper here....


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## buckytom (Jan 13, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I don't care if anybody's watching. I don't covet any desire to eat stuff off the floor. I'd do it only if camping and only if I had no choice to do without or eat what I have.
> 
> I'm amazed that anybody would eat stuff off the floor, unless there's some special circumstance (camping).


 

you do realize that many veggies grow in or on dirt, and meat recently surrounded a poo tract, and as we speak, your body is crawling inside and out with millions of creatures...


----------



## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

buckytom said:


> addie, dw has the shark steam mop model #s3501. i think we bought the same model for my mom, but when dw bought her's a year or so ago it came with interchangeable heads: a rectangular one and a triangular one. my mom's only came with the rectangular one, but i believe the rest of the unit is the same.
> 
> there's a newer model out that supposedly gets the steam even hotter to guarantee disinfection, but it seemed flimsy so we got the older model for mom. the older one runs anywhere from $80 on sale to around $120 full price.
> 
> but you make your money back on all of the food you can eat that drops on the floor over time..


----------



## Timothy (Jan 13, 2012)

buckytom said:


> you do realize that many veggies grow in or on dirt, and meat recently surrounded a poo tract, and as we speak, your body is crawling inside and out with millions of creatures...


All of those "creatures" are exactly where they belong. I"m not putting them into my mouth.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

taxlady said:


> So, if a whole bag of potatoes or carrots gets dropped and explodes on your floor do you just throw it out?



I'm referring to food falling out of the pan or out of my plate and landing on the floor.


----------



## taxlady (Jan 13, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> I'm referring to food falling out of the pan or out of my plate and landing on the floor.



Okay, that makes more sense to me. I was also thinking of stuff that falls on the floor while I'm prepping it. It seems to me that stuff falls or rolls off the counter while I'm cutting it up, on a fairly regular basis. Almost always when stuff falls out of a frying pan, it falls onto my stove.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

When you're discussing ingredients falling on the floor during preparation it becomes too complex for me to state a rule describing what I would if this or if that. It depends on the ingredient, depends on how clean the floor is, etc.

The one thing I'm sure about, if it falls off my plate and lands on the floor I'm not going to pick it up and eat it, no matter how many seconds.


----------



## roadfix (Jan 13, 2012)

I wish my garage floor was clean enough to eat off of.


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## buckytom (Jan 13, 2012)

Timothy said:


> All of those "creatures" are exactly where they belong. I"m not putting them into my mouth.



a bunch of those creatures are in your mouth, too! and on the hands you use to put food in your mouth.

i just think the whole thing is silly. of course no one wants dirt or microscopic "creatures" on their food, but our world is loaded with both. you can fool yourself into thinking you're perfectly clean. i prefer not to think about it, and just try to be reasonably clean.


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## taxlady (Jan 13, 2012)

I will never consider my floors truly clean for more than a few minutes after they are washed. I just watched my cat drag his bum across the hardwood floor of my living room. I think I want one of those steam cleaner/vacuum thingees.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 13, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I will never consider my floors truly clean for more than a few minutes after they are washed. I just watched my cat drag his bum across the hardwood floor of my living room. I think I want one of those steam cleaner/vacuum thingees.


Me too. I have a dog and I can't watch where he's been or wash his feet every time he comes inside. Then there's the hair he sheds plus anything else that gets on his coat. And I'll be honest and admit my temperament is not conducive to frequent cleaning.

If it falls on the floor and it's something that's going to be washed and cooked, then maybe, but if it comes off my plate and lands on the floor then I'm certainly not going to pick it up and put it in my mouth.

Maybe other people are less squeamish than me, maybe other people's floors are cleaner than mine. _My_ 5 second rule is that if my dog doesn't eat it in 5 seconds then it's going in the trash.


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## vitauta (Jan 13, 2012)

roadfix said:


> I wish my garage floor was clean enough to eat off of.




is your garage the place where most of your food mishaps occur?


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## CWS4322 (Jan 13, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I will never consider my floors truly clean for more than a few minutes after they are washed. I just watched my cat drag his bum across the hardwood floor of my living room. I think I want one of those steam cleaner/vacuum thingees.


Well worth the money (and the time it saves--no more having to drag out a bucket and mop and wait 30 minutes for the floor to dry).


----------



## CWS4322 (Jan 13, 2012)

taxlady said:


> I will never consider my floors truly clean for more than a few minutes after they are washed. I just watched my cat drag his bum across the hardwood floor of my living room. I think I want one of those steam cleaner/vacuum thingees.


At the risk of never being able to post again from the shame, the cloth on the right is the one from this morning. The one of the left tonight's cloth.  All I did today was go out and get wood, let the dog out, and in, and out again. I love my vac-n-steam. PS--this was only the kitchen floor. I do have to go across that floor to go out and get wood, as does the dog to go in and out. Maybe I should do the floor again first thing tomorrow morning and capture that picture as well....I'm really not that dirty!

The one I have is this one:

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...aners_AD1_En&gclid=COHWk-a6zq0CFY0BQAodEifZmg


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## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> At the risk of never being able to post again from the shame, the cloth on the right is the one from this morning. The one of the left tonight's cloth. All I did today was go out and get wood, let the dog out, and in, and out again. I love my vac-n-steam. PS--this was only the kitchen floor. I do have to go across that floor to go out and get wood, as does the dog to go in and out. Maybe I should do the floor again first thing tomorrow morning and capture that picture as well....I'm really not that dirty!
> 
> The one I have is this one:
> 
> Shark Vac Then Steam | Canadian Tire


 
Thanks for the site. I don't need the vac/steam. Just the steam. I can clean my kitchen in just two or three swipes. So you have answered my questions I had. Ever since I had the bypass surgery about ten years ago, I find it very painful to sweep back and forth. So I have a small push broom that cleans my floor quickly. It is the washing that I need just the steam one for. My son looked at Walmart and I think I found what I need for less than $100. So at the beginning of next month, he has to go to Walmart and is going to pick one up for me. He is going to take a look at the model first. In the meantime it is still the mop and pail. Oh joy!!


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## taxlady (Jan 13, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> ...
> 
> The one I have is this one:
> 
> Shark Vac Then Steam | Canadian Tire



It's purple!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 13, 2012)

taxlady said:


> It's purple!


Of course it is purple!!! Everything that I can get is purple...I love purple! And, PF I am coveting those shoes!


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## buckytom (Jan 13, 2012)

lol you guys and your purple.

addie, my mom is 86 (although is going on 75, it's amazing, those norskies) so weight was a consideration. the shark steamer is really light and does a great job. better than that crappy oreck vacuum we got her before that.

heck, of your kids don't do it, i'll send you one.

but you have to get me some lobsters...

btw, this reminds me that i need to get down to their house to clean their carpets with the carpet steamer. my brotbet just painted the dining room, and eldest sis goes every week to help with groceries, so it's my turn.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 13, 2012)

buckytom said:


> lol you guys and your purple.
> 
> addie, my mom is 86 (although is going on 75, it's amazing, those norskies) so weight was a consideration. the shark steamer is really light and does a great job. better than that crappy oreck vacuum we got her before that.
> 
> ...


Every day, I wear something purple...and I eat purple veggies...and I LOVE purple...I also have one of those carpet steamers. I have hauled it across the border to do my mom's carpets....but--my dad has told me that if I drive a purple car home, I can't park it in his driveway--he hates the color purple (mmm....wonder why I love purple?).


----------



## Addie (Jan 13, 2012)

buckytom said:


> lol you guys and your purple.
> 
> addie, my mom is 86 (although is going on 75, it's amazing, those norskies) so weight was a consideration. the shark steamer is really light and does a great job. better than that crappy oreck vacuum we got her before that.
> 
> ...


What a nice son!


----------



## buckytom (Jan 13, 2012)

lol, brothbet? i meant to type brother. these soft cellphone keyboards suck.

nonetheless, thanks, addie. i think you have the same kids, although no docs in our family. just english teachers, writers, editors, lol and me.


----------



## Alix (Jan 13, 2012)

Heehee. I was just trying to figure out if brothbet was brother or some weird NJism.


----------



## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 14, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Of course it is purple!!! Everything that I can get is purple...I love purple! And, PF I am coveting those shoes!



The shiny and purple Danskos or the suede and purple Merrell's?


----------



## Skittle68 (Jan 14, 2012)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> Every day, I wear something purple...and I eat purple veggies...and I LOVE purple...I also have one of those carpet steamers. I have hauled it across the border to do my mom's carpets....but--my dad has told me that if I drive a purple car home, I can't park it in his driveway--he hates the color purple (mmm....wonder why I love purple?).



My car is purple!!!! My dad is a mechanic, and when I sent him to check it out for me the first thing he said about it was, "Well, it's purple..."


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## forty_caliber (Jan 14, 2012)

If you drop something on the floor and you can get to it before one of the dogs, I say fair game.  Count your fingers after the grabbing dive for the item.  Watch out for the Cairn terrier he is a sneaky stealth dog appearing out of thin air..  Afterwards they all look at you and fein innocence.

.40


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## CWS4322 (Jan 14, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> My car is purple!!!! My dad is a mechanic, and when I sent him to check it out for me the first thing he said about it was, "Well, it's purple..."


If my dad were a mechanic, he would've said "no frigging way are you buying a PURPLE car..." Lucky you!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 14, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> The shiny and purple Danskos or the suede and purple Merrell's?


I have purple suede Birkenstock clogs...do those count?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 14, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I have purple suede Birkenstock clogs...do those count?



Of course!


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## CWS4322 (Jan 14, 2012)

Addie said:


> Thanks for the site. I don't need the vac/steam. Just the steam. I can clean my kitchen in just two or three swipes. So you have answered my questions I had. Ever since I had the bypass surgery about ten years ago, I find it very painful to sweep back and forth. So I have a small push broom that cleans my floor quickly. It is the washing that I need just the steam one for. My son looked at Walmart and I think I found what I need for less than $100. So at the beginning of next month, he has to go to Walmart and is going to pick one up for me. He is going to take a look at the model first. In the meantime it is still the mop and pail. Oh joy!!


I did the kitchen floor again this morning. The pad was about the same as yesterday morning. It is a bit heavy--the steamer only is probably lighter. I really like this "gadget." I hate dragging out a mop and bucket. And, when I had FIVE Saint Bernards, mud season was a pain. Having the Vac-n-steam made life a lot easier. I could clean up after them when they came in (because they did live in the house--contrary to popular belief, Saint Bernards like to live in the house, not outside--and they do like to sleep on beds, with their people). They just went outside to survey the property and do their business. But most of the time, they were inside. I didn't place (adopt out) one of the girls because she really liked sleeping on the couch and that was why she was surrendered--the people got a new couch and she didn't know she couldn't sleep on it. Everyone who wanted to adopt her said "no" to her being on the furniture. She lived out her life with me. I miss her so. She was the best dog ever.


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## Skittle68 (Jan 14, 2012)

CWS4322 said:
			
		

> I did the kitchen floor again this morning. The pad was about the same as yesterday morning. It is a bit heavy--the steamer only is probably lighter. I really like this "gadget." I hate dragging out a mop and bucket. And, when I had FIVE Saint Bernards, mud season was a pain. Having the Vac-n-steam made life a lot easier. I could clean up after them when they came in (because they did live in the house--contrary to popular belief, Saint Bernards like to live in the house, not outside--and they do like to sleep on beds, with their people). They just went outside to survey the property and do their business. But most of the time, they were inside. I didn't place (adopt out) one of the girls because she really liked sleeping on the couch and that was why she was surrendered--the people got a new couch and she didn't know she couldn't sleep on it. Everyone who wanted to adopt her said "no" to her being on the furniture. She lived out her life with me. I miss her so. She was the best dog ever.



Wow- that is unbelievable to me that someone could train a dog to go on furniture then get rid of her for it. Wth is wrong with people??? How could you just get rid of a companion like that? For all they know she could have ended up going to someone who would abuse her. I've had to give away a cat before (she was
a stray I took in, bathed, wormed, and spayed after she had a litter of kittens, and she didn't work out in our household because of our other cat) and it was torture wondering if her new owners were going to be nice to her, and if they would take my offer to take her back if she didn't work out seriously. Oddly, it's not like that giving away kittens... That's more happy and hopeful. I still have one of the kittens from that stray kitty's litter. He will be turning 10 in march.


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> I did the kitchen floor again this morning. The pad was about the same as yesterday morning. It is a bit heavy--the steamer only is probably lighter. I really like this "gadget." I hate dragging out a mop and bucket. And, when I had FIVE Saint Bernards, mud season was a pain. Having the Vac-n-steam made life a lot easier. I could clean up after them when they came in (because they did live in the house--contrary to popular belief, Saint Bernards like to live in the house, not outside--and they do like to sleep on beds, with their people). They just went outside to survey the property and do their business. But most of the time, they were inside. I didn't place (adopt out) one of the girls because she really liked sleeping on the couch and that was why she was surrendered--the people got a new couch and she didn't know she couldn't sleep on it. Everyone who wanted to adopt her said "no" to her being on the furniture. She lived out her life with me. I miss her so. She was the best dog ever.


 
When you bring a pet into your life, you either make it a member of the family or don't adopt it. Would you tell your child that they have to sleep on the floor or outside?


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## Greg Who Cooks (Jan 14, 2012)

Once my dog picked his favored spot on the couch I threw a blanket there. Not only did it protect the couch but he liked it even better, considered it was his favorite sleepin' place other than next to me on my bed.

It's lucky for him he picked the opposite side of the couch from _my_ favorite place!


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

Gourmet Greg said:


> Once my dog picked his favored spot on the couch I threw a blanket there. Not only did it protect the couch but he liked it even better, considered it was his favorite sleepin' place other than next to me on my bed.
> 
> It's lucky for him he picked the opposite side of the couch from _my_ favorite place!


 
The other day it was pouring out. Going from the car to inside my building, Teddy Bear got drenched. He also had to take time to do his thing before he came inside. And he rolled in the soaking wet grass. By the time he got to my apartment, he ran in, shook all over the place, and jumped up on my bed. He dove under the covers to get warm. Now my sheets, blanket and me were all wet and dirty. Who cares. I have plenty of soap powder and other cleaning products. And I had the visit of one happy dog. 

When my son asks him if he want to go see "Grandma", he gets all excited. So that makes him one of the grandkids. And he gets the same treatment and lovin' as they do.


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## taxlady (Jan 14, 2012)

Addie said:


> The other day it was pouring out. Going from the car to inside my building, Teddy Bear got drenched. He also had to take time to do his thing before he came inside. And he rolled in the soaking wet grass. By the time he got to my apartment, he ran in, shook all over the place, and jumped up on my bed. He dove under the covers to get warm. Now my sheets, blanket and me were all wet and dirty. Who cares. I have plenty of soap powder and other cleaning products. And I had the visit of one happy dog.
> 
> When my son asks him if he want to go see "Grandma", he gets all excited. So that makes him one of the grandkids. And he gets the same treatment and lovin' as they do.



My mum was not happy when I referred to my cats as her grandkids. She didn't like cats. Unfortunately, the only grandkids she ever got were my cats.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 14, 2012)

Mom always asks about her Grand cats 

Latté always sleeps on anything I have worn.  She is currently balanced precariously on the arm of the couch, sleeping, because that's where I draped my wool Sweater Coat.  

Allowing the cats in the bathroom is a running argument with Shrek, they have both been following me into the bathroom since they were babies and now Shrek has decided he doesn't want them in there.  Now they listen for him (and so do I) so they will go sit outside the doorway when they hear him approaching.


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## taxlady (Jan 14, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Mom always asks about her Grand cats
> 
> Latté always sleeps on anything I have worn.  She is currently balanced precariously on the arm of the couch, sleeping, because that's where I draped my wool Sweater Coat.
> 
> Allowing the cats in the bathroom is a running argument with Shrek, they have both been following me into the bathroom since they were babies and now Shrek has decided he doesn't want them in there.  Now they listen for him (and so do I) so they will go sit outside the doorway when they hear him approaching.



My cat is allowed in the bathroom - the litter box is in there.


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## CWS4322 (Jan 14, 2012)

taxlady said:


> My cat is allowed in the bathroom - the litter box is in there.


Nice to know everyone "reads off the same page" in your house, TL


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## Skittle68 (Jan 14, 2012)

Why would you want to keep the cats out of the bathroom? We keep the toilet lid down because we don't want wet little paws on the seat, but other than that I see no harm...


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## Addie (Jan 14, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> Why would you want to keep the cats out of the bathroom? We keep the toilet lid down because we don't want wet little paws on the seat, but other than that I see no harm...


 
Cats, if they are not rubbing up against you, are sitting there staring at you. Very unerving when you are shaving.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 14, 2012)

Skittle68 said:


> Why would you want to keep the cats out of the bathroom? We keep the toilet lid down because we don't want wet little paws on the seat, but other than that I see no harm...



I have no idea...Shrek has gotten some strange ideas since he retired.  I think he has too much time on his hands...


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## CWS4322 (Jan 15, 2012)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I have no idea...Shrek has gotten some strange ideas since he retired.  I think he has too much time on his hands...


Could it be he doesn't like an audience now that he's retired?


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 15, 2012)

CWS4322 said:


> Could it be he doesn't like an audience now that he's retired?



They don't and never have followed him into the bathroom.  But they are small moons that follow me everywhere.  I think he said something about having one room in the house that is not covered in cat hair.  I pointed out the vacuum cleaner...he didn't think I was funny.


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## Skittle68 (Jan 15, 2012)

Just this morning I dropped a chocolate covered covered coffee bean on the floor, and ate it anyway. It was hard smooth chocolate, and I just did the floor yesterday. Saw no reason to throw it away... Lol


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## Addie (Apr 17, 2012)

Addie said:


> Buckytom, was looking at some models at Amazon. What model did you get your mother? I have a galley kitchen and a bathroom. Would be perfect for those two areas. I have nice kids who will buy it for me for my birthday in March. I just haven't told them yet.


 
Well I have had my Shark Steam Cleaner  for a while now. I love it. Ever since I recovered from the Norovirus I have become a crazed nut about keeping the bathroom clean. The faucets get wiped down with hospital antiseptic wipes, and the floor gets steam cleaned every day. What I have noticed is that the more I used it, the whiter the floor came. I never realized that there was a surface film on the floor. And the same for the tiles on the floor in the kitchen. The kitchen floor now looks like new. Thanks everyone for the recommendation. I am not sorry I bought it. I do have some stuff in the kitchen I just had to have. And I have used just once or twice.


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