To expect guests to wash their hands on arrival?

Washing hands does create a sterile environment.
Florence Nightingale did know what she was doing.

And this is why Norovirus is racing round the country!
I always wash my hands when I come in and so does DH
I wouldn't ask guests but I would be twitchy!😂

I ask my own kids to wash their hands when they come in from school but I would never ask an adult to do that.

Not norovirus and stuff no but when you’re getting off the tube it’s better than nothing!

I'd welcome it as a general custom, to enter a home, pause, remove footwear, outer wrappings, wash hands, and face. I may have lived somewhere like this, as it seems normal and appealing to me.

I really don't like people removing their shoes in my house unless they are visibly muddy / dirty. Who wants people sitting there in their smelly socks?

Ps actually I do wash my hands when I arrive in the office after public transport. And often (not always) when I get to a restaurant before food comes. But never at private homes.

Nanny: yes.. this is what we do, it's a habit that I wish to build in my children.

Health visitors / Midwives.. welcome,.thanks for coming, the bathroom is through there for you to wash your hands or I have left soap and a towel by the sink for you.. can I get you a cup of tea while you wash your hands..

I think you might probably be right to do this, and you are putting us to shame, but that none of us have died yet and the majority of the country probably don’t/won’t do it.

I don’t know how you ask guests to do so without looking weird, or rude in some people’s eyes.

It's cultural. It would be completely normal in loads of countries, but not seen as normal in the UK. If it's your house rules to do so, the you should feel free to ask.

Play dates were a long time ago and I don't remember!

I wash my hands when I return to my own house unless I've just been for a local walk.

Going to someone else's home, I wouldn't wash my hands or sanitise if I'd driven there but I would if I'd travelled on the bus.

I wouldn't expect anyone else to wash their hands on coming into my house though.

In your case, yes I would expect a health professional to use sanitiser before handling a young baby. It wouldn't have occurred to me when I had my own baby as this was over 20 years ago and my personal norms around hygiene have changed considerably over the last 5 years.

So to summarise the results of this thread

Taking measures to ensure good hygiene in the home (which prevents the spread of illnesses that at best make people a bit miserable and mess with their plans and at worst leads to hospitalisation/death in the vulnerable =* *bat shit / mental/ controlling.

I am quite a scrupulous handwasher myself but would never tell another adult to do it. I would only ask children to do so before eating or if they have been doing some very messy activity

The more dirt the better, the more exposure to germs the stronger the child, the less cleaning the healthier the outcome.

A baby is not meant to be brought up in a sterile environment.

It's cultural- Brits are grubby and wouldn't really do this.

Yes, it's a very good idea for people to wash their hands when they visit others and dramatically cuts the risk of spreading viruses!

(I'm British too by the way, but hygiene levels of average people in the UK are pretty appalling!)

I wash my hands when i come home or on arrival to work but not when i visit other people, unless i'm holding their newborn.

I work in community with vulnerable adults and do home visits. I don't wash my hands in ppls houses unless I feel I need to ( like if i get any boldly fluid on me) but I do alcohol jell them as soon as I'm in my car and before I go into someone's house so I'm clean going in. I always imaging that other professionals that do home visits do the same.

Not an adult no, but children yes. DC wash their hands as soon as they get in from school, so they tell their friend to do it too. I do hover with the soap as so many just think water is ok.

I would wash my hands upon entering a house with a young baby and again before I touched baby (student midwife, do it when I'm doing home visits and would do it in a non-professional capacity). Not generally though, no.

The lack of handwashing in this country is why I do not eat buffet food or anything self service.

You wouldn't need to ask me, OP, I'd do it automatically and would feel a bit scuzzy if I arrived somewhere and there wasn't an opportunity tbh. And I haven't got "hygiene anxiety" or whatever one pp patronisingly called it. I just don't much want to catch everyone's colds or stomach bugs because I touched my face or ate some food without thinking after opening doors, shaking hands or pushing a supermarket trolley. Just a good habit to get into. I started doing this when I had small children but post-Covid I'm surprised everyone doesn't do it to some degree. Perhaps it's a point of honour not to for some.

I wash my hands on arrival when I’m visiting people if I’ve travelled on public transport. I don’t drive these days but would probably do the same after driving.

It isn't something I usually bother to do, but I think it's a good idea and is well known to help prevent the spread of disease. It's a pity it isn't the "done thing" in our society.

I think you could manage to get visitors to go along with it if you ask them very politely, even apologetically: "I like the idea of washing hands after being out and about. Could you possibly...? The bathroom is on the left there." They might think you are a bit batty, but so what? They will humour you if you ask nicely enough.

I feel quite sure that health professionals visiting a newborn will be happy to wash their hands if you ask them to.

No, but it’s nice to wash the grime off, surely?