washing hands before eating

[peppajay]

How far or how often do you take hand washing or expect your children to wash their hands??? I expect to wash them before eating and without fail at lunch or teatime and also before having a snack. If we are out and eating ie a picnic I insist they use gel or a baby wipe before eating. My son has aspergers and is obsessed with hand washing and I think it is partly my fault for fuelling this obsession as very few other people seem to worry about it. Yesterday we went to town and I didn't have any gel or wipes on me and we bought a cake at the bakery and as I forgot the gel they couldn't clean their hands. I told them not to worry but my son had a huge meltdown as he was convinced he would be sick if he ate the cake when he had germs on his hands, so I ended up buying some gel so they could clean their hands. I always wash my hands before I eat and always have done I wouldn't say it is obsessive just good hygeine but no one else seems to worry so was just wondering what you folks do??

[TheMoa]

I don't normally insist mine wash their hands before eating.

They are never ill.

If we wete on a farm, or visiting the zoo, I'd probably point them in the direction of the soap.

[Artandco]

Mine wash hands and faces before all meals at home, out we wipe or wash before food if possible but don't worry otherwise

[LegArmpits]

Ridiculously lax on hand washing. It wouldn't even cross my mind to make them do it, or me. Never ill.

[Artandco]

Mine are usually dirty tbh so need to wash hands and face, so it's easier to get it into a routine. Ie atm they are planting strawberry plants in pots by themselves! So that dirt all over pretty much ( I'm staying at distance and should be finishing work emails from other side of the terrace- wasting time on here!) so by lunch they def will need to wash.

[AwayAndRunUpMaHumf]

If they've been playing outside, are dirty, or have been clapping the dog, I make them wash their hands. Otherwise tbh I usually don't bother, esp if they've just been colouring in or something.

[addictedtosugar]

Hands washed after toilets, and before meals - not snacks. If were out, however, I don't insist on hand washing (DH would get the antibac gel out, I HATE the taste of this on picnic food!). Exception being if we are at a farm or similar.

I don't wash my hands before eating - but then I don't have my hands over everything and anything like 5 yr old boys do!

[0x530x610x750x630x79]

Away
yep about sums it up.

[ThereIsIron]

Hands washed after toilet is insisted upon. Never before eating, unless I notice they're particularly dirty or they've been doing something unhygenic.

[Thurlow]

Wash hands after the toilet. Then if they are mucky after playing outside or something like that.

But not before dinner, really - the washing is after the dirty thing, not before eating.

[Haggisfish]

What away said. Only wash if they're dirty on been on farm really.

[TwiceAsNiceAsIceAndaSlice]

My two always have to wash their hands before eating a meal or a snack. They have to at school too. If we are out then they would have a quick wipe with a baby wipe.

I would never eat or prepare food with unwashed hands. Yuk.

[SirChenjin]

Always wash hands before they eat - hate the idea of sitting down to eat with manky hands.

[dementedpixie]

After the toilet or if they are visibly dirty. We are a bit lax tbh. They come out of school and have a snack in the car without even thinking of washing/wiping hands

[Baddz]

After using the loo and before eating.
Fairly standard I thought...

[fourchetteoff]

Same as demented pixie.

I feel as though kids need to eat a peck of dirt before they die (IYSWIM) and that we are too clean nowadays.
I always make them wash hands before food prep or after the loo.

[BinToHellAndBack]

I always wash the kids hands when coming in from anywhere (especially soft play centres and supermarkets). As a result I'm pretty lax about handwashing and food at home as I (albeit foolishly) count anything picked up around the house as 'not that bad'.

Out and about I'd either wash hands or use a wipe.

I used to be less strict but then DS picked up norovirus at the GP surgery when we took him for vaccinations. We took a little pot a treats to eat straight after and hadn't washed his hands between playing in the GP toy area and tucking into the snacks. It was horrific.

[loveareadingthanks]

The whole washing hands before a meal is something that has always struck me as a bit old-fashioned.

Wash hands after toilet, yes, wash hands if you've touched something manky, yes, wash hands if you realise hands are actually dirty before eating, yes, wash hands before food prep, yes. Otherwise, no, I've never always washed hands before eating and not made child do it either.

I've never heard of anyone getting ill because they ate something without sterilising their hands with soap and water or antibac getl .

[unlucky83]

Wash hands if they have been playing with something manky and after the toilet.
Wash hands before eating at school (definitely) and when they get home from school
or soft play or after touching animals or anything that involved touching things that multiple people/children may have touched.
But not every time before they eat something...especially not at home - the only germs they should have on their hands are 'family germs'...we will either get them anyway or are immune!
My biggest concern is thread worms...which they pick up from other children etc - why I think at school etc it is so important!
If they can't wash hands with soap and water I don't really see the point of faffing with gels etc...gels aren't that effective and I think wipes just smear germs and worm eggs around...

[BinToHellAndBack]

Oh and after the toilet of course.

[SirChenjin]

People do get ill by not washing their hands before eating - not sure where you get the idea they don't! Google for guidelines if you're not sure when you should wash, but the Mayo Clinic ones are good - www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/hand-washing/art-20046253

[WorldsBiggestGrotbag]

Another lax hand washer here. Only after playing in anything grubby (she's still in nappies but when she's potty trained it will be after going to the toilet too obviously). I was also lax with sterilising. She's never had a poorly tummy or anything in 18 months.

[DoristheCamel]

I always wash mu hands before eating and after using the loo.

I brought mine up to do the same.

Not always had hand gel etc but do tend to try not to touch the actual food if nowhere to wash my hands before eating. For example - if I was eating a greggs pasty (yum ) I would hold it in the corner using the bag it came in. I wouldnt NOT eat if I had to use my hands without washing but I just prefer to wash before eating. Must be to do with how I was brought up.

I recall at primary school we all used to have to wash our hands before going into the school dining room at lunch time. We all lined up outside the loos and went in washed our hands supervised.

[mangoespadrille]

In Tesco toilets the other day there was a woman with her DS. When they'd finished, instead of washing hands at the sink the woman fished a bottle of sanitiser out of her bag and they both used it and left. Wouldn't the pee/poo still be on their hands?!

To answer your question, never bothered washing hands before food, but I have a very strong immune system (possibly because I've never done it?), don't bother with DD either.

[odyssey2001]

DS is expected to hands wash after using the toilet and will wash hands before eating if he is dirty, has been outside or ( most importantly) has been where animals could have been / are (i.e. park, zoo or farm).

Hands sanitiser does nothing useful with dirt but I will use it when we are out before eating in conjunction with a wipe.

I don't get him to wash before eating at home as we have a no shoes on carpets policy in the house.

[WhatWouldBlairWaldorfDo]

I dont have kids of my own but work in school, including after school care. Snack is provided and i get all kids to wash hands before sitting down to eat (but they are usually mucky :) )

They also have to wash there hands when we go in from outdoor play as they usually sit in the muck and handle various sticks/stones worms/beetles etc other than that i dont bother too much.