More on germs

I had a customer ask me yesterday if we disinfect the pens on the debit card machines at the checkstands. I had to tell her no. She said she was afraid of the flu. I told her that while we do clean our checkstands frequently during the day, we can not clean and disinfect everything between each customer.
Think about how long that would take. Think of what is involved. Besides, there is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. When I clean the checkstand I use spray cleaner and paper towels to wipe down the belt and counter areas so that they are free of meat juice, sticky ice cream, baby drool and mystery spills. I do this when I have a free moment between customers because everyone is in a hurry and will put stuff on the belt while I am wiping it off. Often I will tell customers that there is chicken juice all over the belt just so I can clean it completely before they put their stuff down. It is satisfying to watch them leap back with their groceries clutched in their arms.
I do disinfect the intercom phone quite frequently during the day because all the employees talk on it. That means wiping it with alcohol and actually killing germs. To disinfect that pen on the debit machine I would have to use alcohol after every single customer and this just won't happen. If you are worried about getting germs from that little pen, bring your own sanitizer. And then remember that you are touching a cart handle that no one is cleaning either. All the fruit in produce is handled frequently as well as just about every surface in the store and the items on the shelves.
Here is one big germy item no one thinks about. You would think it would be the cart seats or the belt or door handles. Nope.
Little kids standing in line like to pick up packages of gum and smell them. They stick them right up their nose all the time. Babies grab candy and gum and try to chew on the package and their moms take it away and stick it back on the shelf. No one ever even thinks about it, but I see it all day.
See ya.