A Michigan company thought it could corner the Utah market for signs instructing restaurant and store employees to wash their hands after using the restroom.

Instead, Mandatory Poster Agency is facing $25,000 in fines after the Utah Food Industry Association got wind of the scheme and sicced the state's Division of Consumer Protection on the company.

Mandatory Poster Agency rented a post office box in Salt Lake City and sent out official-looking letters from "Utah Food Service Compliance Center" warning business owners that they faced a $2,500 fine if they did not display required posters in their restrooms.

"Posters must meet the exact specifications and procedures presented in section 2-301.12 of the code and should not be self made," the letter warned. The company then offered to sell "approved" posters at $19.95 a piece for orders up to four, while larger orders would get a $5 discount.

While the law states that employers should have a sign up in their restrooms reminding employees to wash their hands after using the facilities, the notices can be self-made or obtained free from county health departments. Nor do they need to include graphic directions on how to wash one's hands as suggested in the mailing. If employees are so helpless that they need detailed instruction in basic personal hygiene, they probably shouldn't be working in any industry.

Based on the law, the consumer protection division cited the company for using false claims and deceptive acts to entice customers.

But while Mandatory Poster Agency's plans may have gone down the drain, the scam does raise an interesting question: Who makes sure that people wash their hands after using the restroom in public places?

We've all seen people come out of a stall and head out the door without stopping at the sink. Jerry Seinfeld turned this into a memorable half-hour of television comedy.

While the thought of cooks or waiters who don't wash before handling food is horrifying enough, the other people are just as bad.

Think about that when you put your hand on a table, chair or doorknob in any public place. It's enough to turn one into a germophobe like Adrian Monk, the obsessive-compulsive TV detective.

But what can be done about it?

Social pressure might work. When you're in a restroom and notice a slacker about to leave, shout loudly enough so that people outside can hear -- something like: "Hey, you with the green jacket! Get back here and wash your hands! Didn't your mother teach you anything?"

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