Is "disinfect the bejeebus out of everything" proper these days?

[eyesroll]

I'm not talking about sterilizing bottles or medical devices, nor am I talking about wiping someone else's food off a high chair before putting a baby in it; I'm talking about toting around a full-sized canister of Clorox disinfectant wipes in the diaper bag.

This weekend, I saw a parent go over everything at a restaurant -- the high chair, the table, the menus -- with a disinfectant wipe (yes, I saw the canister -- this wasn't a baby wipe) before putting her (9-month-old, give or take) child in the chair. And when the child dropped a toy on the floor, she gave it a thorough wipe-down too.

I wonder how the lot of us survived childhood without these things.

[DS1]

1. Perhaps the kid is immune-depressed

but he's not, then he's going to have a hard time fighting off his inevitable first cold as it will hit him like a ton of bricks.

[BigMcLargehuge]

2. it is a little overboard here in the USA

at the moment. We don't carry around disinfectant wipes. My kids need to have strong immune systems.

They also occasionally eat dirt if we aren't lording over them.

I don't remember eating dirt as a kid, but my mom says I used to as well.

[eyesroll]

3. J's kid has eaten sand before.

:puke:

And Play-Doh.

[Beware the Beast Man]

4. I'm of the camp that believes overuse of antibacterial agents

only makes people sicker. Just a theory.

[eyesroll]

6. Public-health experts are actually recommending against antibacterial soap

for most uses...

Regular old soap and water works just as well unless you're scrubbing for surgery or something. Antibacterial hand sanitizers (wipes or gel) are OK for when no soap or water is available, or for people who have to wash their hands many times a day (they're less drying and faster), but they're not considered necessary most of the time.

[Iniquitous Bunny]

7. Yeah.

Antibacterial agents kill the proverbial 99.99% of germs, but what about the .01% ??? They end up being the "superbugs" of tomorrow. Anti-bacterial should be for medical use IMHO.

[Deep13]

5. Lunch time! Pass the paste. nt