Do you...

[Puptart]

... wash the tops of your cans before you drink from them?

I know there is really no way of avoiding everything in life that might carry germs, but this one seems like an obvious candidate that can be easily dealt with. I was recently informed that I was "odd" for washing my cans.

I could never just buy a can of soda or juice from the store and stick it right on my lips. I was always taught it was a bad idea to do that.. with the sheer volume of people who have touched the can, from manufacturers to delivery people to stock clerks to random people in the store picking them up to read the can.. the cashier if they pick it up to scan it.. and so on, and so on. And then when you crack that baby open, the tab that was once on top of the can, potentially touched by 18 people, goes dunking straight into your drink.

Am I really so odd? :o

Just curious.

 

[Wren]

Washing the top of a can or bottle never occurred to me.

 

[Eirlysa]

Yes, I do this too! It never actually occurred to me to do it because of the repeated dunking of the tab, but more the area where my mouth meets the can.. I probably wouldn't be able to drink it if I didn't wash it first.

 

[Puptart]

Yes, I do this too! It never actually occurred to me to do it because of the repeated dunking of the tab, but more the area where my mouth meets the can.. I probably wouldn't be able to drink it if I didn't wash it first.

Yep that too (lips-on-unwashed-can :o )

Glad I'm not entirely odd at least

 

[mina]

yes I do. Preferably with dish soap or a wet wipe if handy. Or I'll pour it into a clean cup rather than drink from the can.

 

[Beauty4Ashes]

hmm..never heard of that before. Seems sensible enough though.

 

[Socktastic]

Only when it's dusty or otherwise noticeably grimy.
Anything else I take as valuable agents in building an immune system prepared for all sorts of microbiological attacks.

 

[Puptart]

Only when it's dusty or otherwise noticeably grimy.
Anything else I take as valuable agents in building an immune system prepared for all sorts of microbiological attacks.

I get very serious sinus infections about 80 times a year (an exaggeration but it sure feels like that many) so I'm very cautious about what I get anywhere near my face in particular, that also might have something to do with it. The sinus infections (or perhaps more accurately just "bad sinuses") run in my family though so I can only reduce, not eliminate, the problem. Boo!

 

[crishmael]

I got into the habit because one of my mom's co-workers told stories about rats in the warehouses urinating on the cans and I couldn't get the image out of my head. I've gotten lazy about it though so God knows what I've put my lips to.

 

[JRSut1000]

I have honestly NEVER thought of it...something to keep in mind.

 

[Niels]

I'll admit to doing this.

 

[SparkyMaddie]

nope

 

[CelticGrace]

I got into the habit because one of my mom's co-workers told stories about rats in the warehouses urinating on the cans and I couldn't get the image out of my head. I've gotten lazy about it though so God knows what I've put my lips to.

yup I've heard this too. Freaked me out and I hardly ever drink out of a can if I can help it. Bottles only for me.

 

[manillabar]

my sister's really almost religious about doing that... but like socktastic i only do it if it *looks* dirty... but i don't think it's weird if you always wash it lol more power to you

 

[K9_Trainer]

If it looks spotty or dirty, then I'll wipe it off with my shirt, but thats about it I'm not much of a germiphobe though...If I wasn't agnostic I'd probably regularly be using the phrase "God made dirt and dirt don't hurt!". Maybe I'll take the Carl Sagan approach and say that everything is just stardust anyway...Nothing wrong with stardust eating a little stardust

 

[Tink]

Eh, sometimes I do...sometimes I don't.

 

[.Nevermore.]

I always wash it. Thinking about the fact that the top hasn't been washed freaks me out.

 

[Blank123]

Never actually thought about it. Probably should though.

 

[Lprdgecko]

I used to not clean the top of a soda can, but one time I bought a pack of soda and the cans towards the back of the box had some weird black dust on them. I wiped them off and poured the soda in a glass, so ever since then I always wipe my finger along the rim to make sure there's no black dust. If I see no dirt/dust on my finger, then I drink from the can.

 

[Lprdgecko]

I got into the habit because one of my mom's co-workers told stories about rats in the warehouses urinating on the cans and I couldn't get the image out of my head. I've gotten lazy about it though so God knows what I've put my lips to.

I actually just saw an episode of MythBusters about this a few hours ago... They tested 100 cans from several different locations and none of them had rat urine on them. They interviewed a doctor and the doctor said that even in the rare case of that happening, you still wouldn't get sick or die from it, which is good