Like many of life's problems, this one began in my childhood, roughly between the ages of 6 and 8. I liked to listen in on the conversations of grown-ups. Since I was so young, most of the grown ...

Make sure you're storing and cooking food at proper temperatures — and remember that the best way to get rid of germs in day-to-day life is by washing your hands with soap and water or using ...

Even if you wash your hands, you may not do it properly, says Tierno, author of The Secret Life of Germs. "Some individuals move their hands quickly under a flow of water for only a second or so ...

Because chlorine is able to kill most germs, we also depend on it to disinfect our drinking water and clean the water in our swimming pools. In the US, 98 percent of treated water supply systems ...