To expect guests to wash their hands on arrival?

We’re British (living overseas) and wash our hands when we get home. Wouldn’t dream of asking guests. Naturally we offer the bathroom to wash hands before serving food. With a new born we asked people to wash or gel their hands before cuddles. This is the norm for most people I know (all health care workers admittedly).

You’ll find the midwife or health visitor will have used gel after touching the last baby and before touching yours. Just as they would in hospital. They won't ask to use your sink as that won’t be the cleanest option in everybody’s house!

It would never cross my mind to ask an adult/teenager.

The only time I’ve asked my DS (6) and his 2 friends who play here is if we have stopped first at the park on our walk back from school, we often leave when one wants the toilet, so when we arrive back at ours I remind them all to go to the toilet if they need to and all have a hand wash, because they always like snacks straight after the park, I know that will be the next ask 😂

How inconsiderate

I wash my hands when I get to mums (she was looking after my, now, deceased dad)- I still do it. I wash my hands, especially if I’ve been out shopping, when I get home.
I have always used hand sanitizer, even before COVID!
I wouldn’t dream of asking any guests to wash their hands, but there is HS in the cloakroom if they want to use that.

I have OCD and would love to do this and the only reason I don’t is because people would think I’m weird! I do have massive germ phobia however so what I tend to do is clean down all the doorhandles taps the toilet, the towels, et cetera once they have vacated the house!

Your household your rules tbh
I remember when my son was newborn just a couple of weeks ago and a friend of my partner turned up with two kids. They all have flu and we’re really sick but just wanted to see the new baby. Actually I asked him to leave still don’t regret that.

It’s not something I usually think of unless their hands are visibly dirty

Tbh OP I’d be happy to have a shower at yours at the moment if you’ve got the heating on.
It’s freezing here

If the guest isn't polite enough to wash the hands on their own, especially with a newborn in the house, they need to be gently encouraged to make the right decision.

Why would it be rude to ask and explain it would make you feel better if the guest did wash their hand?

Guests should wash their hands before eating. But it would be extremely rude to ask an adult guest in your house to wash their hands. It would be fine to ask a younger child to wash their hands before eating.

Seems you are mixing two posters together. The first "insulting one" was mine, not @Jaehee 's.

And I replied to your hurt pride post at 1:29, just two posts up. You must have missed it, otherwise you wouldn't continue about undeniable superiority of Scottish healt discoveries when a few other names were already brought to the discussion. Do you know them?
And, even if you were right about the credits, isn't it said how low adoption that knowledge in general population based on this thread?

The OP actively noticed the lack of hand washing when she had her newborn, but was surprised it just wasn't a general habit no matter the babies. To me it looks rude and disrespectful to not wash one's hands when coming to someone's home. It says you don't care about their wellbeing.

???????

I understand what cross-contamination is, microbiology made up a substantial part of my degree, but as for the rest of your post I don’t have a clue what you’re going on about, sorry!

You should read the history…. Cross contamination.. if you don’t know what that is you may wish to educate yourself… Then you would understand what I said… Scotland has been the most invent when it comes to medical and engineering. That is undeniable… Your comments and you original comment was completely insulting. You are far too arrogant to think of what you say and how rude you are being. OP if you read what she replied to me, she never thought about hand washing (ie asking someone to wash hands) prior to having her new born…. Her worry is completely normal, and her reaction is completely normal. She was only asking a question. If it was normal for a midwife to not wash hands which is not normal.. You have just been completely insulting

@Cazareeto1 I’m Scottish and I find your comment completely insulting considering our contribution to world on our medical inventions, innovation, hygiene.. completely insulting!! Btw we are the ones who pushed discovered cross contamination and the must for hand washing and sterilising medicine equipment and surgical rooms for any medical operation and child birth…

What a bizarre thing to be insulted by. I had to read @eightIsNewNine's post twice because I thought I must have missed something. Not sure what you mean by '[we] discovered cross contamination' however it's well documented that when a (Hungarian) doctor observed the link between handwashing and a reduction in disease, including a significantly reduced mortality rate in newborns and new mothers, other doctors took offence and continued to be resistant to washing their hands. Many women and newborns continued to die unnecessarily, and the poor bloke who raised the alarm was ridiculed and lost his job over it. He went on to have a nervous breakdown and died in a psychiatric hospital.

I thought it was clear that I was making an observation about brittons of the Mumsnet posting on a few specific hygiene-related threads, but I can spell it out like this for the slower ones. Better?

The OP mentioned the newborn in one of her later posts. In the meantime many UK posters used the opportunity to express how they never wash their hands after coming home and how offended they would be if someone asked them to. Some even tried to argue that point even in the context of the baby.

I understand that she didn't mention the newborn in the first post - if she is from a country where the normal thing to do is to wash hands when coming inside regardless the age of the inhabitants, it is just strange that many brittons (of the Mumsnet posting on this kind of threads) feel that general hand washing is beneath them.

"Insulting considering our contribution". It really isn't me who insults the heritage of medical advances (thought claiming them as British is a bit of oversimplification, even if omitting Semmelweis, I'd say that Koch's and Pasteur's works were crucial for Lister). The real insult to that are posters like those at yesterday 12:14 and 12:29 (to pick a few from the latest page).

Hang on a minute the OP doesn’t mention newborn baby or being the midwife.. if that was mentioned it would be a completely different discussion and response from everyone. 99% of mothers on here would freak out if someone regardless of who they are dare touch the newborn baby with out washing hands first. As far as I’m aware this is the same in every country it’s common practice with a newborn. I can completely understand when someone moves to another country and has a baby to be nervous and worried about differences when it comes to the most precious person in their life. And wanting to know what is normal in that country or not.
as you say about the post with someone to do with food hygiene.. I’m not being funny but every single country in the world there is the stupid, the ignorant, the lost, the evil, the good, the happy, the giving, the loving… just because you seem to come across the stupid or uneducated.. doesn't mean every single person is the same that is called racism..

unfortunately the OP has been given a neglectful midwife.. who shouldn’t be in the job… that doesn’t mean every single midwife is the same. 🤦‍♀️ or unhygienic practices are normal.. 🤦‍♀️ I’m Scottish and I find your comment completely insulting considering our contribution to world on our medical inventions, innovation, hygiene.. completely insulting!! Btw we are the ones who pushed discovered cross contamination and the must for hand washing and sterilising medicine equipment and surgical rooms for any medical operation and child birth… 🤦‍♀️

How odd. Yes children before eating but that's it. Peculiar.

Honestly I think 99% of mums on here would expect anyone to wash their hands before holding their new born baby regardless of who they are. That’s the only reason I said about your OP because I know 💯 you would have a much more positive and supportive response if you said you have a newborn baby. People would completely understand and agree with you.

I always wash my hands when I get home. It's not some weird hygiene issue it simply a good habit that I don't give much thought too.

I wouldn't ask other adults to wash their hair but I sometimes notice when they don't.

dont worry it’s ok to ask. No one would think anything other than wanting to know what is normal in this country. The midwife should definitely be washing her hands when she first’s enters your home, and after she has checked you and baby. It is ok to “request” (tell) her to wash her hands, do not feel out of place or over protective about this she is doing close checks on mothers and handling newborns that alone should be washing hand before and after. If the midwife makes a fuss remind her of cross contamination, if she is off about it, you can request another midwife due to hygiene concerns or to major indifferences. If there is anything you want/need to know I’m happy to help .

@eightIsNewNine These threads are always like the Four Yorkshiremen of Hygiene.

’Soap?! When I were a lad we used to have to get up at the crack of dawn, trudge barefoot fifteen miles over a field full of broken glass and the decaying bodies of cholera victims, then we’d slaughter a pig with our bare hands and drag it through a cesspit into the sanitarium mortuary on our bloody stumps so the lepers could butcher it for us for 3 bob and a kiss on the cheek.’

Thats pretty gross. Lids are there to stop the germs being shot into the air. There was a video that showed how high the bacteria is dispersed when you flush.

Most are not even designed to be sat on.
https://www.rubberduckbathrooms.co.uk/toilet-seat-lids-what-are-they-designed-for

But then I wash my hands when I get home- if I've touched anything. I maybe wouldn't if I'd just been for a walk. Why wouldn't you? It's minimal effort, maximum return

How hard is it to wash your hands? Is it that big a deal? It's so simple, cheap and quick.

It seems that brittons are competitively unhygienic. I remember a thread where the OP was piled on for expecting basic food safety when dealing with raw meat.

It reminds me how many women died after childbirth because doctors were above washing their hands and felt offended when it was suggested. It took something like hundred years to establish it.

OP, use the fact that you are from foreign country. Simply ask your visitors to wash their hands when they come to your home with a newborn in it, point out that you would feel better if they do it, and thank for their understanding. It won't hurt them and anyone reasonable will just do it.

Me neither. I think it's a cultural norm (or not).