Who believes/follows the 5 second rule?

[taxlady]

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?

 

[Addie]

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.

 

[Skittle68]

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?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

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.

 

[chopper]

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.

 

[vitauta]

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(?)

 

[CWS4322]

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.

 

[Timothy]

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!

 

[CWS4322]

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]

...

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]

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

 

[CWS4322]

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.

 

[Timothy]

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.

 

[CWS4322]

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.

 

[Hammster]

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]

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.

 

[Addie]

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.

 

[Andy M.]

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.

 

[Alix]

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!

 

[CWS4322]

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.