I'm that casual too. I don't care about all that germophobe stuff...it's not realistic nor practical in a working kitchen. The chopping board always gets scrubbed down with bleach after use and we have been using bleach in our dish water for eons now, so a wipe down with the dish rag is all we do to the table and such. We do not extend that to surfaces like seasonings, tinfoil boxes, etc. as we understand how long germs actually live on the surface of things....which is not long. They normally need a good medium in which to live to thrive and stay alive...like wet areas...but exposure to air and being dried out lets them die. Since all our wet areas contain bleach, we don't worry.
We just don't get intestinal germs around here...when everyone else at school, work and other parts of the family are throwing up and having diarrhea, my family just doesn't catch it. Not because we are germophobes, but because we wash all dishes in mild bleach solution and we develop hardy immune systems by not being germ freaks in other ways. The combination of good immunities, fresh air, fresh water, good foods, a clean house and that little help with germ control when washing communal eating surfaces seems to keep us very healthy.
I'm not a frequent hand washer...I'll wash when I feel it's necessary, but one can wash away the protective coating of oils and acids on their hands that can kill germs and provides a barrier that prevents those germs from gaining entry into the body. I never use hand sanitizer...it's the worst thing that ever hit the medical field and then the public use. It's counterproductive and I never advocate it.
