I realize that I'm living dangerously, but I'm not convinced that most of us need to use hand sanitizer on a daily basis. Are you sold on the stuff?

Cold weather means that more people head back into the gym — which is an incubator for germs and viruses.

Antibacterial soaps have been growing in popularity, and I can't remember the last time I went into a home with children where there wasn't a bottle of the stuff on every sink. I'm always reluctant to use it, fueled by a strange gut feeling that I'm better off learning to cope with the bacteria that surround me. Now there's some scientific back-up for my anti-antibacterial sentiments: new research found that as much as 75 percent of the chemicals used to make these products are emerging unharmed from sewage treatment plants, ending up in water supplies and subsequently used to irrigate farmland.

Sometimes it’s best to stick with an old standby. As the winter season finally kicks in, it’s tempting to search for new and improved methods of preventing colds and flu. Well, antibactierial soap is not the answer.