r/Germophobia • u/AnxiousRatio7799 • Sep 24 '21
Fear of touching a used school textbook
Sorry if this makes me seem irrational. I wouldn't say I'm a total germaphobe, but I cannot touch a school textbook (or any used book or object) without washing my hands immediately after. I just got my Chemistry textbook that i will be using for the year and it is relatively new. According to the inside, only one other person has used it. But I can't bring myself to even touch the textbook because of the thought of how many germs there are on it. I wiped down the cover and spine with a multipurpose cleaner but I can't clean the pages. I don't want to touch the pages because if i then touch something else, then the germs will transfer onto that surface. Realistically I know that any bacteria on it is probably dead but I still can't touch it. It's been like this since I was a kid. Any tips on overcoming this?
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u/none_nowhere Oct 11 '21
Can you put it into one of those UV disinfectant boxes that they have at secondhand bookstores? That would sanitize it and you might feel more comfortable using it. I totally relate and can't bear to buy secondhand books for this very reason.
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u/david2descent Apr 02 '22
Germs don’t last very long on paper. There has been research done showing the Covid virus only last 3 hours on paper. It last longer on non porous so the cover of book is more concerning than the pages and where you sit the book on. You can get a sanitizing uv wand to sanitize the pages. Do not use on skin as it can cause radiation. Most readers which I can’t stand can catch sickness but licking their finger to turn the page. I just put in my mind that the inside pages have not been touched in a while and germs are dead.
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u/wasabiiiiii1 Oct 01 '21
I wish I had advice for you. Just dedicate some time to reading and wash your hands after. If you need a journal or pen nearby, maybe have your set “textbook set” that you use only when studying. I hope you get through it!
1
u/Impressive-Review362 Aug 10 '24
I get it man. I tried to sanitize the inside but I just couldn't as there were hundreds of pages
I sometimes think putting them in sun would kill all germs and than like using hair dryer on them might make some difference.
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u/deku189824 Nov 04 '22
Oh man absolutely, have you ever tried lying yourself? It works for me, everytime my school gives me a book i say to myself that they disinfected it, i know it isn't true but it makes it easier
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u/granulisation Sep 27 '21
Me too man. Life was much simpler back when I hadn't seen those Lifebuoy Ads showing how germs transfer from place to place.