I had a great conversation with my son’s third grade teacher. She tells me that he will use a tissue or paper towel to push the button on the water fountain. He’ll leave water running at school so he won’t touch the knobs after washing his hands. When he’s with me in a public bathroom (There are too many sickos in Florida to let him go in the men’s room alone, or I stand in front of the men’s room with the door cracked open.) he refuses to touch the door handle to get out. He’ll use a paper towel, his shirt, or wait for me to open it.

He is afraid of getting cavities, and will never forget to brush his teeth. While that is great, he will totally kill a brand new Oral B toothbrush in one month. The bristles will look like I took it and scrubbed a sidewalk, nearly bent at a 60 degree angle.

He has a fit if anyone touches his food, or drink. I made a sub one day and started eating it. He asked me to make him a half of the same type of sandwich I had. I told him I was only going to eat half any way, and said I would cut off the other end for him. He refused to touch it because I put my germs on it by touching it. I made him another sandwich and he ate it, of course touching it with the same fingers that had touched the unwanted sandwich half.

He washes his hands all the time, but not to the point of cracking or bleeding. In between those times he uses alcohol hand sanitizer.

He constantly bites him lower lip. It can get very dry. He uses a type of chap-stick with cocoa butter in it. He probably uses it about 1x an hour. I use the same kind and I use it 1-2x a day, if that.

Does this sound normal? Some of it sound like OCD to me. I want to make sure I’m not over reacting.

And how do you determine what bacteria they are ?

What is good disinfectant to use on the knobs of the hot and cold water faucets for sinks and for the door handles to the bathrooms in our homes?

…furniture and tastes. How do I make my apt. more modern and sleek and streamlined without changing hardware?

I really love the modern/contemporary/sleek look. Think track lighting, geometric couches and chairs, straight lines, simple curves, silver, solid colors, minimal color. My furniture reflects that look. Think black, geometric, glass, brushed metal silver.

But the problem is I’m moving into an old, old, old apt whose fixtures can’t be changed or replaced–management would not allow that–nor do I have the budget to replace them myself even if I wanted to temporarily during my lease. The ceiling lighting is quite old in style, the faucets are turn knobs from decades ago, the cupboards have a regular non-gloss generic wood trim, the bathroom and kitchen floors are tiled with a non-modern look, not to mention the overall structure of the closet doors, counters, etc.

What are detailed suggestions of how I can reconcile the old look of my apt. with my very modern furniture? I really yearn for a modern, tranquil, minimalist, sleek , clean look…whites, blacks, silvers, neutrals, maybe a splash of color here and there but not a lot.

By the way, I’m a guy who’s young and recently out of grad school, in case that helps. I like a modern masculine/neutral look, for example, neutral-colored bamboo sticks instead of flowers.

…furniture and tastes. How do I make my apt. more modern and sleek and streamlined without changing hardware?

I really love the modern/contemporary/sleek look. Think track lighting, geometric couches and chairs, straight lines, simple curves, silver, solid colors, minimal color. My furniture reflects that look. Think black, geometric, glass, brushed metal silver.

But the problem is I’m moving into an old, old, old apt whose fixtures can’t be replaced, nor do I have the budget to replace them myself even if I wanted to. The ceiling lighting is really old, the faucets are turn knobs, the cupboards have a regular generic wood trim, the bathroom and kitchen floors are tiled with a non-modern look.

What are detailed suggestions of how I can reconcile the old look of my apt. with my very modern furniture? I really yearn for a modern, tranquil, minimalist, sleek , clean look…whites, blacks, silvers, neutrals, maybe a splash of color here and there but not a lot.

By the way, I’m a guy who’s young and recently out of grad school, in case that helps. I like a modern masculine/neutral look, for example, neutral-colored bamboo sticks instead of flowers.

Thank you.

i have a 1/2 bathroom that has a sink that is almost impossible to work under. I can’t get a wrench up there but i can use my hands. unfortunately, the bolt that tightens the faucet to the sink snuggly is under the sink and not turning. It moves up and down but then stops moving at a certain point. I assume there is dirt build-up and have tried using liquid wrench to no success. should i cut the pipe that goes through the sink hole or are there any other tricks? this sink is one where there is the water spout in the center, and then the hot and cold knobs are separate. any thoughts would be great.