Notebook + Toilet = Gross
March 2, 2011 8:55 AM Subscribe
I dropped my physics notebook into a (just used and flushed) public toilet. I dried out it in the oven, but I'm pretty grossed out about it. Should I be? How nasty is it at this point, probably? If it is really nasty, do I have any options for de-nastifying it other than copying the whole thing over?
Response by poster: It's a spiral-bound book of handwritten notes. I've thought about scanning and copying it, and that's what I'll do if I have to, but I don't know how well the pencil marks will show up against the water-damaged pages.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 9:04 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 9:04 AM on March 2, 2011
I was going to suggest taking photos of the pages or just photo copying them, similar to maxg94 scanning suggestion.
posted by chiefthe at 9:05 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by chiefthe at 9:05 AM on March 2, 2011
The water in a public toilet is generally the same water that comes out of the faucet, which you hopefully touch with your hands every day. Is it a toilet with a tank or one of those pressure-jet toilets that are common in public bathrooms? I would only be concerned with a tank toilet, as the water in the tank may be sitting there for awhile. In a jet toilet, the water is fresh, and the toilet is probably cleaned every day or twice a day.
posted by muddgirl at 9:08 AM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by muddgirl at 9:08 AM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: It was a tank toilet that had literally just been flushed. I guess I'm freaked out about the possibility of residual poop germs on my notes.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 9:12 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 9:12 AM on March 2, 2011
Do you have access to an autoclave? (If not, a friend in the biology department would). If you used ink some of the pages *might* stick together, and if the notebook has a plastic cover you'll want to remove it, but it shouldn't hurt the paper. I once did that with keys that had gone in the toilet because I just could not stop thinking about tiny particles of poop.
posted by tchemgrrl at 9:18 AM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by tchemgrrl at 9:18 AM on March 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
what temperature was the oven at, and for how long?
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:20 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by ArgentCorvid at 9:20 AM on March 2, 2011
Microwave it? Not sure about the metal spiral holder, but if that is not an issue for you, nuke it.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:22 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:22 AM on March 2, 2011
There are poop germs everywhere. Your book recently had contact with both clean water and heat, so it's a cut above most of the surfaces you encounter daily.
posted by hermitosis at 9:23 AM on March 2, 2011 [10 favorites]
posted by hermitosis at 9:23 AM on March 2, 2011 [10 favorites]
You're more worried about the notebook than the fact that you put it in your oven?
posted by reductiondesign at 9:23 AM on March 2, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by reductiondesign at 9:23 AM on March 2, 2011 [6 favorites]
I'm pretty grossed out about it. Should I be? How nasty is it at this point, probably?
2nding hermitosis that everything is covered in germs. Your notebook is unlikely to make you ill.
posted by momus_window at 9:27 AM on March 2, 2011
2nding hermitosis that everything is covered in germs. Your notebook is unlikely to make you ill.
posted by momus_window at 9:27 AM on March 2, 2011
I'm easily squicked, and I think the water in most toilets isn't equivalent to tap water. But it's not nearly as icky as your worst fears. I suspect that autoclaving paper would result in ash. Bleach would likely damage it further. So, I'd scan and .pdf it for archiving safety. And glean the scanner just to be polite. Then I'd see if a local hospital has any ultra violet germ killer lights. I used to work in a hospital, and there were UV infection reduction lights at the entrances to a couple departments. You could go there, exposing each set of pages for 15 minutes or so. Sunshine is a good germ killer, but would take longer. Got a sunny window? A longer time in the oven might kill more germs, but drying out the paper too much could damage it.
Germs are not likely to have leaped from a notebook to other surfaces, and the hot dry oven is a bad environment for germs. I wouldn't worry about the oven at all.
posted by theora55 at 9:34 AM on March 2, 2011
Germs are not likely to have leaped from a notebook to other surfaces, and the hot dry oven is a bad environment for germs. I wouldn't worry about the oven at all.
posted by theora55 at 9:34 AM on March 2, 2011
Photograph the pages, print the pages out, then tuck them into the front of a new and unsullied notebook.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:36 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:36 AM on March 2, 2011
BTW: just amp up the contrast in an image editor of choice until the pencil stands out.
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:37 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by Slap*Happy at 9:37 AM on March 2, 2011
If you're really worried about poop germs, put each page in a plastic page holder thing and turn your notebook into a binder.
posted by inigo2 at 9:39 AM on March 2, 2011 [10 favorites]
posted by inigo2 at 9:39 AM on March 2, 2011 [10 favorites]
I wouldn't do the taste test but as long as it smells ok you won't lose any friends. Chances are that you come in contact with residual poop germs on a regular basis so I wouldn't worry about it too much.
posted by JJ86 at 9:49 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by JJ86 at 9:49 AM on March 2, 2011
Hey, did you know that there are more fecal bacteria in a kitchen sink than in your toilet? True story. Rest easy about your notebook (or go bleach your kitchen, one of the two).
posted by runningwithscissors at 9:53 AM on March 2, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by runningwithscissors at 9:53 AM on March 2, 2011 [3 favorites]
I think the water in most toilets isn't equivalent to tap water
It wasn't dropped in standing toilet water - it was dropped in fresh toilet water, which is generally the exact same water that comes out of the tap.
posted by muddgirl at 9:55 AM on March 2, 2011
It wasn't dropped in standing toilet water - it was dropped in fresh toilet water, which is generally the exact same water that comes out of the tap.
posted by muddgirl at 9:55 AM on March 2, 2011
Cleaning aside, do not underestimate the value of hand-copying over notes as a study aid. Major pain, yes, but *GREAT* learning tool.
posted by Ys at 10:27 AM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Ys at 10:27 AM on March 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
At this point the only thing that matters is smell. You're not going to get sick off of it. Baking it removed the moisture so it won't be molding or mildewing, and it was a flushed toilet, so there's not going to be poop on it to a serious degree.
If it doesn't stink, it's fine. Don't waste your time scanning/photographing etc... just use it and keep it dry.
posted by brenton at 10:27 AM on March 2, 2011
If it doesn't stink, it's fine. Don't waste your time scanning/photographing etc... just use it and keep it dry.
posted by brenton at 10:27 AM on March 2, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks for all the responses so far. I'm feeling better about having to handle the notebook, but I think I'll still copy it.
You're more worried about the notebook than the fact that you put it in your oven?
I know that seems weird, but I had it at a really low temperature (200° F) and checked it frequently. My first priority was not having a notebook dripping with toilet water. I will be cleaning the oven rack, as well.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 10:35 AM on March 2, 2011
You're more worried about the notebook than the fact that you put it in your oven?
I know that seems weird, but I had it at a really low temperature (200° F) and checked it frequently. My first priority was not having a notebook dripping with toilet water. I will be cleaning the oven rack, as well.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 10:35 AM on March 2, 2011
Response by poster: It was in the oven for ~15 minutes.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 10:36 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 10:36 AM on March 2, 2011
Hey, did you know about half of the soda fountains tested across a bunch of fast food chains tested positive for fecal bacterial contamination? :D
Frankly, I think your baked notebook is safer.
On a practical note, I like Ys's suggestion.
posted by Ky at 10:36 AM on March 2, 2011
Frankly, I think your baked notebook is safer.
On a practical note, I like Ys's suggestion.
posted by Ky at 10:36 AM on March 2, 2011
You could look on the positive side and copy it out again, as the act of copying something and writing it down often helps to cement the knowledge in your brain. Call it free revision!
posted by dougrayrankin at 11:09 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by dougrayrankin at 11:09 AM on March 2, 2011
If the toilet just just flushed, you are absolutely fine. Even if it wasn't, you would probably be fine. Anything you do to "sanitize" it is just going to be for your own peace of mind and won't actually make it any safer.
posted by The Lamplighter at 11:35 AM on March 2, 2011
posted by The Lamplighter at 11:35 AM on March 2, 2011
I suspect that autoclaving paper would result in ash.
Well... the temperature in an autoclave is only 121C (around 250F); the thing is that it uses steam, which is very efficient at sterilization as compared to dry air. You can autoclave toothpicks just fine without a fire ensuing. I would think the bigger problem would be that the steam might damage the paper (although since it's pencil, the markings should be somewhat resistant).
One easy further thing you could do is spray it down page by page with 70-80% ethanol (this is ~95% so dilute accordingly) and let it air-dry. Your notes are in pencil, so they should remain perfectly legible. You could maybe even dunk the entire thing, although the pages might stick or rip. Anyway, that should kill a lot of any remaining bacteria. It won't touch, e.g., C. difficile spores, but healthy people who aren't taking antibiotics don't usually get C. diff. (Just don't put it in the oven, because, you know, fire.)
Or you could just handle it with nitrile gloves, since you're recopying it anyway.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:09 PM on March 2, 2011
Well... the temperature in an autoclave is only 121C (around 250F); the thing is that it uses steam, which is very efficient at sterilization as compared to dry air. You can autoclave toothpicks just fine without a fire ensuing. I would think the bigger problem would be that the steam might damage the paper (although since it's pencil, the markings should be somewhat resistant).
One easy further thing you could do is spray it down page by page with 70-80% ethanol (this is ~95% so dilute accordingly) and let it air-dry. Your notes are in pencil, so they should remain perfectly legible. You could maybe even dunk the entire thing, although the pages might stick or rip. Anyway, that should kill a lot of any remaining bacteria. It won't touch, e.g., C. difficile spores, but healthy people who aren't taking antibiotics don't usually get C. diff. (Just don't put it in the oven, because, you know, fire.)
Or you could just handle it with nitrile gloves, since you're recopying it anyway.
posted by en forme de poire at 12:09 PM on March 2, 2011
I just ran a micro lab where we get students to test environmental samples for coliform bacteria (poop). We always ask the students not to bring toilet water because it is always clean. Seriously you swim in much worse.
If you have access to an autoclave or ethanol that might be useful for putting your mind at ease, but really there is no need to freak out.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:48 PM on March 2, 2011
If you have access to an autoclave or ethanol that might be useful for putting your mind at ease, but really there is no need to freak out.
posted by Blasdelb at 12:48 PM on March 2, 2011
If you're going to photocopy the notebook, most digital copiers these days, in addition to lighter/darker settings, have Text, Text/Photo, and Photo modes. Put it into Text mode, and your pencil marks should come out nice and clear.
posted by xedrik at 9:34 PM on March 2, 2011
posted by xedrik at 9:34 PM on March 2, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by maxg94 at 9:00 AM on March 2, 2011 [3 favorites]