Do you have the 10 second rule at your house? You know, if food falls on the floor, you pick it up, pop it in your mouth, and mutter 10 second rule? We do. Mostly because food waste bugs, and it seems reasonable that not much happens in 10 seconds. According to an article I found, though, A LOT happens…in just 5 seconds.
Apparently, food dropped on the floor is like an instant magnet for bacteria. Gross. And since the food dropped on the floor shares space with the bottom of our shoes, as the video points out, and our shoes have a disturbing amount of fecal matter {gross, again}, I think I am going to have to think twice about popping dropped food into my mouth. The video above goes into tons of scientific detail as to how food that is dropped collects nasty bacteria so quickly.
The only thing I will say, is that I’ve popped dropped food into my mouth {which I will now call fecal food} tons of times over my lifetime, and to my knowledge, I’ve never gotten sick. Maybe this whole time, I’ve gotten lucky? Or, maybe, I’ve just been building up my immunity?
What do you think? Will this stop YOU from using the 2, 5, or 10 second rule at your house?
~Mavis
Darlene says
I think it depends on if it’s a soft, sticky food, like a banana, or a hard non-sticky item, like an m&m. I’d definitely eat the candy, not the banana! With 3 dogs though, you’d have to race to get to it first 🙂
Mavis says
Isn’t it funny how “clean” your floors appear after you get a dog. I swear, I used to have to sweep a lot more than I do now that Lucy is on the prowl.
Darlene says
Yes, and currently my sister is visiting with her 3 dogs. Let’s just say, with 6 dogs in the house, I aint eatin’ anything off of the floor
Pam says
I agree with Darlene – it really depends on the food. Sticky, gooey food I’ll leave for the dog. But, like Mavis, I’ve been living with that 10 second rule for years and I don’t think it’s ever made me sick. As for the dog and floors – don’t get me started! It’s shedding season and I have one dog that turns out dozens of “hair puppies” daily! I’m Swiffering/dry mopping 5-6 times a day! I love my dog but am giving serious thought to a buzz cut.
Tamara says
I do a quick dust mop DAILY and still wonder where all the dog hair comes from! Why isn’t that puppy BALD!!! :). By the way M&Ms rule!
Christy says
This is why we don’t wear shoes in our house!
Karen says
I agree with the ‘depends on what it is rule’. I remember watching a mythbusters they did on this very topic. Hard Dry foods were typically safe while wet/soft foods not so much.
KAte says
Yeah, I figure if it’s a dry thing and I’m really invested in it, I’ll pick it up and blow the dust off and eat it. I just can’t bring myself to freak out about every little germy germ. That seems like a one way ticket to crazytown. Otherwise it just goes into the compost bin. I figure either way I’m not really ‘wasting’ it the same way I would if it went into the trash.
Jess says
Nope, not a chance and we don’t even wear shoes in the house. I have three cats and three kids, I vacuum almost everyday, and everyday I still find hair everywhere. So there is nothing going in this mouth after it’s been on the floor.
Barb says
Depends on whether someone sees me do it. When we had a dog I still had the 5-second rule, but we had a 2-second dog, so it wasn’t much of an issue. 🙂
Nancy D says
Ha! Just imagining a 2 second dog beating out a 10 second human! Hilarious!
Ellen in Clackamas says
If the hair and/or dirt won’t blow/brush off then no…but anything else the 10 second rule rules! I am trying to by mindful about my sweets and there is no way I am wasting that M&M!!!!
Leslie says
Bahahaha!
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mdts204QKa1r0bl1uo1_500.jpg
Angie says
Actually the 10 second rule does NOT apply in our house – we have dogs!
Anything spilled on the floor is instantly picked up by the Clean Up Crew a.k.a. Coco (Black Labrador) and Nell (English Springer Spaniel)
Just a shout of “Clean up! Aisle Three” brings ’em running!
Kathy says
Not to be gross, but have you heard of the “hygiene hypothesis,” that so many of our allergies and such are from lack of exposure to bacteria. But…gardening helps, so I guess you’re getting plenty!