I completely disagree! If you're constantly avoiding germs, how will your immune system cope when it inevitably takes a hit. I try to keep my immune system strong with vitamins and herbs, but there are well over a hundred different forms of the common cold rhino-virus alone. If you don't get a common cold every once in a while, the flu will kill ya! Americans (speaking as one) are far, far too caught up in the media fear tactics to sell us bacteria killing hand soap while failing to inform us that you have to wash your hands far longer with the stuff than they show (if that) in the commercials. We keep little bottles of hand sanitizer all over the place killing both the good and the bad flora on our bodies to the point of desiccating the upper layer of our skin! We get caught up in studies that tell us that the common candy dish has traces of fecal matter in it without following up by telling us that the human immune system is more than capable of handling it. We hear about flesh eating bacteria (Necrotizing fasciitis) but somehow miss the fact that there have only been six confirmed deaths in the past fifteen years - all but one in third world countries where proper medical care was not available after infection. Most people don't even know that urine is sterile! Now, I'm not saying we should go around licking our palms after doing hand stands in a bus station bathroom, you can get staff and streptococcus from that. And it's a polite gesture to use a clean paper towel to open the door while leaving. But the human body needs germs to fight in order to be able to build up anti-bodies and white cells to be prepared to fight off bigger germs. If we try to stay sterile all the time, our immune systems won't have a chance when a serious bug comes around.

Excuse me, I'm headed to the forest where the bear sits.