MythBusters: Clorox & the 5 Second Rule

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cLOROX

***WINNERS***

Congradulations to J!

I was so excited when Clorox contacted me to work on a project with them talking about the “5 Second Rule” with Samantha Bee from the Daily Show! Everyone one knows what the 5 second rule is right? It's eating a piece of dropped food or re-using a baby bottle as long as its within 5 seconds.

Now I have always lived by the 5 second rule if we were at home but out in public , that was a different story. I mean it was great for the immune system right? (Insert laugh here) Now I hear that the 5 second rule is being challenged by scientists at San Diego State University. This study was funded by @Clorox. The team tested a sippy cup and a carrot on kitchen counter tops,highchair trays,tile floors,and carpet and the results are in.

  • With the carrot, the most germs were transferred from counter folllowed by the tile floor followed by the carpeted floor.

With the sippy cup, the most germs were found on it when it was dropped on the highchair tray.

What Does It All Mean?

With 65 percent of parents admitting to following the 5-second rule in their home, according to a different Clorox survey, it’s a good idea to make your home “5-second rule ready” for when the sippy cup does fall on the floor.

I also had the chance to chat with Samantha Bee from The Daily Show. What? You don't know who Samantha Bee is ? Here is a short bio just to tell you a little bit about her:

Samantha BeeSamantha Bee was born and raised in Toronto Canada and understands that, yes, it's very clean there. Having no appreciable skill set or professional aspirations, she turned to acting and found it compatible with her lazy lifestyle. She began her career by doing numerous commercial campaigns, as well as participating in the all-female sketch troupe The Atomic Fireballs. In 2003 she joined the cast of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and now holds the title of Most Senior Correspondent, having systematically eliminated all those before her. In addition to her work on “The Daily Show,” Bee can be seen opposite her husband Jason Jones in the feature film “Cooper’s Camera,” “Motherhood” starring Uma Thurman and Woody Allen‘s “Whatever Works“. Samantha’s first book “I Know I Am But What Are You” will be released by Simon & Schuster in June 2010, and later this year will be seen in the films “Furry Vengeance” opposite Brendan Fraser and in  20th Century Fox's “Date Night” opposite Steve Carell and Tina Fey.

Bee is the recipient of the 2005 Canadian Comedy Award for “Pretty Funny Female,” but nobody ever thought to send her the statue.

When Bee is not working she enjoys photographing her children in foolish outfits and correcting spelling errors on menus.

It was such a joy to visit with Samantha. She is so down to earth and she shared some funny stories with us about her kids  and the 5 second rule. I also shared one with her about my son Ryan and a funny bandaid incident,everyone started laughing! Samantha shared with us about the myth's of the 5 second rule and about all the tips she has learned at SimpleandSurprising.com ! It sure made me rethink the 5 second rule I had been using! Check out the tips they provide using Bleach and read up more on this study and let us know what you think about the 5 second rule story. Remember Bleach isn't just for whitening socks!

*CONTEST*

One luck Consumer Queen reader will when a Clorox Surprise pack valued at $20.

To Enter:

Tell us .Do you have a funny 5 sec rule story? Clorox may put it on their facebook! If not tell us who is more likely to follow the 5 sec rule in your house!

Bonus Entry:

1.  Follow @Clorox On Twitter and tweet : Debunk the 5 Second Rule Myth & Win $20 in Clorox Products  https://bit.ly/ahyhji   #5SecRule

2.Add a coupon to our Ultimate Coupon Database & get 1 entry for each coupon you enter. Be sure and Check Here to make sure your coupon has not been entered! Only new entries count! Post here what coupon you entered! All coupons will have to be approved before it shows! Coupons could be peelies, tear pads, Sunday Coupons,Rebates,retail & restraunt coupons.

3. Follow us on Networked Blogs on the  left hand side of this blog!

Contest ends 2/8/09. Winners will be contacted by email and will have 48 hrs to respond. You can check back to see the winner listed here!

Thats not all. I helped Clorox put together a Campign of several other fabulous bloggers who are also giving away a Clorox Surprise pack. As they put their posts up I will be adding their links here!

  1. PlusSizeMommy
  2. BanteringBlonde
  3. Jane4Girls
  4. Scrapsofmygeeklife
  5. SavingDollarsandSense
  6. ComplicatedMama
  7. DetroitMommies
  8. CouponPrincess
  9. Lil Punkin
  10. JoanieAtwater
  11. MommyBrain
  12. Faithfullyfrugalandfree
  13. MomMaven
  14. KeepingItClassyJen
  15. CopperBrickRoad
  16. BeingFrugal.net
  17. Okcmomto3

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81 Comments

  9. Unfortunately I am to obsessive to follow the 5 second rule at home or any where for that matter! But my husband is another story, I think he wouldn’t mind a 5 minute rule! Eeich!

    Reply

  10. Unfortunately I am to obsessive to follow the 5 second rule at home or any where for that matter! But my husband is another story, I think he wouldn’t mind a 5 minute rule! Eeich!

    Reply

  11. Unfortunately I am to obsessive to follow the 5 second rule at home or any where for that matter! But my husband is another story, I think he wouldn’t mind a 5 minute rule! Eeich!

    Reply

  12. Unfortunately I am to obsessive to follow the 5 second rule at home or any where for that matter! But my husband is another story, I think he wouldn’t mind a 5 minute rule! Eeich!

    Reply

  17. I follow the 5 second rule, my pug follows the 5 second rule also. This rule is that he has 5 seconds to eat everything that gets dropped on the floor after that I can pick it up.
    By the way I just love Samantha Bee, she and her husband crack me up on The Daily Show, I watch every night.

    Reply

  18. I follow the 5 second rule, my pug follows the 5 second rule also. This rule is that he has 5 seconds to eat everything that gets dropped on the floor after that I can pick it up.
    By the way I just love Samantha Bee, she and her husband crack me up on The Daily Show, I watch every night.

    Reply

  19. I follow the 5 second rule, my pug follows the 5 second rule also. This rule is that he has 5 seconds to eat everything that gets dropped on the floor after that I can pick it up.
    By the way I just love Samantha Bee, she and her husband crack me up on The Daily Show, I watch every night.

    Reply

  20. I follow the 5 second rule, my pug follows the 5 second rule also. This rule is that he has 5 seconds to eat everything that gets dropped on the floor after that I can pick it up.
    By the way I just love Samantha Bee, she and her husband crack me up on The Daily Show, I watch every night.

    Reply

  25. One time my mom was sweeping the kitchen floor and applied the 5 second rule to not one, but two cookies that fell right into the pile she was sweeping. Talk about gross. Yuck! Her excuse was “Well, God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt” Which for her is obviously true since she didn’t get sick.

    In fact, she’s the only one in the entire family blessed w/ a super cast-iron stomach. Back when I was 20 she even applied the 5 second rule to mini egg roll bites that she dropped accidentally on the rug which we later found out were tainted. I got severe food poisoning for an entire week and a half and I only ate 2 egg rolls and she ate an entire box and a half and NEVER got sick! That was over 7 years ago,and it’s still hard for me to touch an egg roll.

    I tell you 5 second rule followers where’s the justice? LOL!

    Reply

  26. One time my mom was sweeping the kitchen floor and applied the 5 second rule to not one, but two cookies that fell right into the pile she was sweeping. Talk about gross. Yuck! Her excuse was “Well, God made dirt and dirt don’t hurt” Which for her is obviously true since she didn’t get sick.

    In fact, she’s the only one in the entire family blessed w/ a super cast-iron stomach. Back when I was 20 she even applied the 5 second rule to mini egg roll bites that she dropped accidentally on the rug which we later found out were tainted. I got severe food poisoning for an entire week and a half and I only ate 2 egg rolls and she ate an entire box and a half and NEVER got sick! That was over 7 years ago,and it’s still hard for me to touch an egg roll.

    I tell you 5 second rule followers where’s the justice? LOL!

    Reply

  33. In my house, there is a 6 month old mini pin and shes fast as lightning. You wouldn’t stand a chance on anything dropped. She catches it as it falls and it never hits the floor. She even eats bananas

    Reply

  34. In my house, there is a 6 month old mini pin and shes fast as lightning. You wouldn’t stand a chance on anything dropped. She catches it as it falls and it never hits the floor. She even eats bananas

    Reply

  45. my funny 5 sec rule story: my 3 year old dropped smarties candy on the floor, quickly picked them up, popped them in her mouth, and said “it’s okay Mommy, I got it before the germies”

    Reply

  46. my funny 5 sec rule story: my 3 year old dropped smarties candy on the floor, quickly picked them up, popped them in her mouth, and said “it’s okay Mommy, I got it before the germies”

    Reply

  49. My husband is always trying to use the 5 second rule on sippies. The problem, my three year old twins are germ fighters like their Mom. If their Dad picks sippy cup off of the floor and tries to give it back to one of them they say, “No Daddy, you need to (sanit)ize it!”

    denise_22315 at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  50. My husband is always trying to use the 5 second rule on sippies. The problem, my three year old twins are germ fighters like their Mom. If their Dad picks sippy cup off of the floor and tries to give it back to one of them they say, “No Daddy, you need to (sanit)ize it!”

    denise_22315 at yahoo dot com

    Reply

  53. My husband once dropped a tuna melt face down, kissed it to Heaven and then ate it. He believes in the 5 Second rule.

    Reply

  54. My husband once dropped a tuna melt face down, kissed it to Heaven and then ate it. He believes in the 5 Second rule.

    Reply

  61. With 3 cats and a dog I have a 0 second rule but my husband doesn’t go by any amount of time rule (yuk!).
    When I read Carol’s comment #21, I was reminded of me and my siblings when we were kids we were taught that if we dropped something on the floor and picked it up, then kissed it up to God, then it was okay to eat it. 🙁

    Reply

  62. With 3 cats and a dog I have a 0 second rule but my husband doesn’t go by any amount of time rule (yuk!).
    When I read Carol’s comment #21, I was reminded of me and my siblings when we were kids we were taught that if we dropped something on the floor and picked it up, then kissed it up to God, then it was okay to eat it. 🙁

    Reply

  69. I follow the 5 second rule, but my husband would rather die than eat something that has hit the fairly clean floor. So I just don’t tell him! Great giveaway, thanks.

    Reply

  70. I follow the 5 second rule, but my husband would rather die than eat something that has hit the fairly clean floor. So I just don’t tell him! Great giveaway, thanks.

    Reply

  71. My husband & I argue about the 5second rule all the time! To me, once it’s dropped, it’s gone. To him, as long as it hasn’t been on the floor long enough for the dog to get, it’s fine. I am so trying to teach my kids the right way!!

    Reply

  72. My husband & I argue about the 5second rule all the time! To me, once it’s dropped, it’s gone. To him, as long as it hasn’t been on the floor long enough for the dog to get, it’s fine. I am so trying to teach my kids the right way!!

    Reply

  77. My children have always said the 5 second rule applies anytime they drop food on the floor, I am thankful I am a stickler about a clean floor.
    They always say A little dirt don’t hurt.

    Reply

  78. My children have always said the 5 second rule applies anytime they drop food on the floor, I am thankful I am a stickler about a clean floor.
    They always say A little dirt don’t hurt.

    Reply

  81. The 5 seconds rule is the most ridiculous and funny thing I’ve heard today. Do people think that germs migrate and it takes 5 seconds to reach another surface? They’re germs, they don’t need caravans. If you drop something on the floor, the tranzition is made upon impact.

    Reply

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