Don't touch the button

Apart from this being something David Cameron has probably said to Nick Clegg since the days of the coalition government - an alarming press release found its way into my inbox today.

Apparently the number of germs on a lift button is three times higher than those found on a public toilet seat.

This is the claim by antibacterial product specialist Microban (of course) which collected samples from offices, restaurants, airports, banks and hotels for its research.

Obviously aside from using just Microban products to ensure you stay clean in the lift, the other solution is just not to touch any buttons. Carrying a coat hanger around with you will avoid any contact, as will a sturdy stick or umbrella handle - but be careful not to transfer any of those germs onto yourself in the process.

I now can't touch any rails or handles on any mode of public transport, can't touch public toilet door handles or soap dispenser pumps in public toilets, and now I need to add lift buttons to the list. Oh and our computer keyboards and phones are absolutely jam packed with germs as well.

Soon we will all be too afraid to leave the sanitized bubble of our own house, just in case we touch something nasty.

How did we all manage before sanitizing products came onto the market?