Have you heard of the "five second rule"? Do you observe that rule?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205770)
Walnut Creek, California
January 10, 2021 2:13pm CST
I was in my kitchen just now, eating some popcorn and brewing up my fourth cup of coffee. A piece of popcorn fell out of my left hand and onto my kitchen floor. I had cleaned my kitchen floor only six months ago, but it's still a tad dirty.
I grabbed the piece of popcorn from the floor, gobbled it up, and then finished up the rest of what remained on my left hand without incident.
The five second rule states that it's OK to eat something off of the floor if it's there for less than five seconds. I contend that it's OK only if the fallen food is dry. If it's wet, and could absorb some non-nutrients from the floor, it goes in the garbage.
What is your version of the "five second rule"?
28 people like this
30 responses
@RebeccasFarm (86754)
• United States
10 Jan 21
Its rare that I would make the mistake of dropping anything on the floor I am perfect
8 people like this
@TheHorse (205770)
• Walnut Creek, California
12 Jan 21
@RebeccasFarm I feign humility well.
1 person likes this
@JimBo452020 (42629)
• United Kingdom
10 Jan 21
Never heard of it before.
The 5 second rule I mean.
4 people like this
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
11 Jan 21
@JimBo452020 It is fairly common here as well, could well be a North American thing. We do things a little different on this side of the pond.
3 people like this
@JimBo452020 (42629)
• United Kingdom
10 Jan 21
@TheHorse
Not a thing I was aware of
3 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Jan 21
Five seconds... ten seconds... if it looks ok, it's ok to eat. How else would ya build up immunities to disease? 
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Jan 21
@TheHorse I don't think I've ever eaten a booger, even as a child.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205770)
• Walnut Creek, California
11 Jan 21
@BarBaraPrz Num num num. I'm sure I did.
1 person likes this
@CJscott (4187)
• Portage La Prairie, Manitoba
11 Jan 21
The science proves that if there is harmful bacteria on your floor, unless its carpet the amount of time elapsed does not matter, and for carpet it was about 4 seconds, which I thought was odd. That being said, the chances are there being harmful bacteria are almost nil. This question reminds me though, of something I heard in passing a while back..."We live in a society where it is socially acceptable to put your mouth on another persons genitals, but get scorned from society for eating a chip that has fallen on the floor."
3 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (95188)
• Marion, Ohio
11 Jan 21
I have 4 dogs. No chance of counting to 5 here 
3 people like this
@RasmaSandra (73444)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
11 Jan 21
Nope, if it falls on the floor it goes in the garbage I don't even care how clean the floor is or not. It stems from my childhood when my grandma arrived to live with my family and coming from behind the Iron Curtain she thought the food had to be treasured in the US same as in Latvia. People were going hungry there at that time. So grandma dropped an egg on the floor and the next thing my mom and I know I was about 5 is she is on all fours licking up the egg. It was then I said no way if on the floor out if goes I could not watch that. Of course, mom got her up and explained things to her but what a sight
3 people like this
@1creekgirl (40523)
• United States
10 Jan 21
Most of the time I don't eat anything I've dropped, but occasionally I break my own rule.
3 people like this
@1creekgirl (40523)
• United States
10 Jan 21
@TheHorse I'd trash the cheese slice, but a piece of hard candy that bounced, I might consider eating. After I blow the germs off.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38657)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jan 21
I heard it was a thirty seconds rule. It depends on the state of the floor. My floors need replacing so I don't eat much that falls there but if it falls on our roof floor I might put at work where the floors got cleaned the night before I might. The only thing I've done this with mostly is candy from a small been which I'm not reading at present. And with the makes on that masks it more difficult too.
3 people like this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
11 Jan 21
I remember that 5 second rule when I was still a small child :) People would just immediately wipe off fallen food, especially bread and biscuits, and even blow on it :)
3 people like this
@sunrisefan (28524)
• Philippines
11 Jan 21
@TheHorse I still see some people doing this nowadays too but not as often as before :)
@lovebuglena (43077)
• Staten Island, New York
12 Jan 21
If I am cutting something and it falls on the floor I can pick it up and rinse it off and then use it.
Fairly recent, I was ready to put pasta into the pot. As I was taking it out of the box some fell to the floor and even landed on his foot. I picked it up right away but hubby didn't let me put into the pot. I probably would have if he wasn't around. I don't blame him though since the floor hasn't been cleaned for months. If the floor is clean I say nothing wrong with the 5-second rule.
1 person likes this
@lovebuglena (43077)
• Staten Island, New York
12 Jan 21
@TheHorse I wonder if you can rinse uncooked pasta (if it fell on the floor) and then use it or if rinsing it will ruin it...
@DocAndersen (54411)
• United States
11 Jan 21
we have dogs so, if it is something green it is a 10 second and rinse rule. If it is something good, it is a 2 second and hope you bring back all your fingers rule.
2 people like this
