Fast-food employee needs a lesson in hand hygiene

Dear Heloise: I now realize the importance of posting the law about employees washing their hands after using the bathroom facility and returning to the work station. Perhaps there should be a sign about the proper drying of hands, too.

A young employee of a fast-food restaurant quickly washed her hands and then dried them on her apron. She saw me watching, smiled and rushed out. There were two hand dryers, and she chose to use neither. Using her apron is a source of cross-contamination.

Why the concern? The business caters to children as well as senior citizens. Both groups have a vulnerable immune system, not to mention the in-between group with compromised immunology. I just called the headquarters and left a message. Margarette in Texas

Yikes! Good hand hygiene is the first defense to staying healthy! Employees in the food industry should be doubly conscientious of washing and drying their hands. Heloise

Fast Facts

Dear Readers: Saving those plastic grocery bags is always a good idea. They have many uses:

•Use in a diaper bag or picnic basket for small trash items.

•Use for wet bathing suits after a swim.

•Use in the garden to collect weeds and deadheads.

•Use to pick up after your dog on a walk.

•Use at the gym for sweaty clothes. Heloise

Dear Heloise: This is in reference to the letter from the reader who makes donations to food banks. Whenever our grocery store has a sale in which you buy one and get one free, I always buy the items and give the extra one to the food bank. Luise S. in Florida

Dear Readers: Recently, we got new computer keyboards. Since the old ones had plenty of life left, we donated them to our women’s shelter.

So remember, if you have used electronics in good working order, find out if a children’s, women’s or homeless shelter needs them. Important: Clean out any memory cards or hard drives completely before donating! Heloise

Dear Heloise: There were many times I would get a bedsheet partially on when I realized it was the wrong way. I solved this by using a permanent marker. Make an X on the back part of the sheet that hangs down. Now when putting the sheets on, I just look for the X and know immediately which way it goes. Dena, Silver Spring, Md.

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: I’d like to know why patterns are now so expensive and printed on such flimsy paper, with several sizes printed on each.

The several sizes work out well for the most part for grown-ups, but I sew a lot for my grandchildren, and if I buy a pattern with sizes — say, 7-12 — and I use the size 8, then the pattern is virtually impossible to use again as the grandchild grows! B.C., via e-mail

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate