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Original poster

To ask DH not to strain my teabag with his bare hands?

110 replies

TeaSqueezingpos · 24/02/2026 22:26

DH has been making me cups of tea for about 10 years. Funnily enough I’ve never stopped to watch him make it because.. well then I might aswell make it myself. This man make me about 2 cups of tea a day.

Hes making my evening tea today, and I catch him squeezing the teabag out, into my tea.. with his bare hands. Confused I ask “did you just use your bare hands to squeeze my teabag out?”

“well yeah?”

WHAT. What kind of psychopath have I been living with? He said that’s how he’s always done it. I’ve asked him to never do that again because.. ew! It’s somehow worse than someone touching my food with their bare hands 🤣

please tell me I’m not being unreasonable😩

OP posts:
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cazcaz2 · 01/03/2026 18:12

Invest in a couple of teabag squeezers from Temu.theyre a quid or so.and make sure he uses them.

campingwidow · 26/02/2026 19:36

Haha I thought I’d solved it there! I read your post and was like, yeah do it allll the time 😂

Original poster
TeaSqueezingpos · 26/02/2026 17:15

campingwidow · 26/02/2026 16:10

Does he work for the NHS? This is normal behaviour fir anyone in shared kitchens when there are never any spoons 😂

unfortunately not.. at least they wash their hands regularly 🤣 DH is a mechanic with constantly black fingernails and rough pads on his hands 🤣

OP posts:
campingwidow · 26/02/2026 16:10

Does he work for the NHS? This is normal behaviour fir anyone in shared kitchens when there are never any spoons 😂

Nannyfannybanny · 26/02/2026 15:45

No issues with antioxidants, they are good for you, they mop up free radicals. I don't dip my finger in boiling water, the tea bags floats, just hook up with a nail.

Allseeingallknowing · 26/02/2026 15:11

Nannyfannybanny · 26/02/2026 07:07

I assume most of the posts are tongue in cheek! Tea is full of antioxidants and made with boiling water. I can't believe anyone on mn uses jars of instant coffee. Everyone I know had a coffee machine. I don't because my kitchen is tiny, I have a cafetier. The coffee comes with it's own little scoop.

I use jars of instant coffee, so there!

Mumandcarer80 · 26/02/2026 13:40

I find it makes the tea taste bitter and not very nice when people do that and the bag sometimes bursts.

Gettingbysomehow · 26/02/2026 13:34

After reading this thread I had to go over to youtube and watch the Village Peoples hit "Macho Man". Im suprised the video doesnt feature men sqeezing hot teabags with their bare hands 😂

GreyCarpet · 26/02/2026 13:01

Nannyfannybanny · 26/02/2026 07:07

I assume most of the posts are tongue in cheek! Tea is full of antioxidants and made with boiling water. I can't believe anyone on mn uses jars of instant coffee. Everyone I know had a coffee machine. I don't because my kitchen is tiny, I have a cafetier. The coffee comes with it's own little scoop.

I can see your point about boiling water (although the teabag quite often floats up to the top - I don't plunge my hands into boiling water).

Not sure what the issue with antioxidants is though...

Nannyfannybanny · 26/02/2026 07:07

I assume most of the posts are tongue in cheek! Tea is full of antioxidants and made with boiling water. I can't believe anyone on mn uses jars of instant coffee. Everyone I know had a coffee machine. I don't because my kitchen is tiny, I have a cafetier. The coffee comes with it's own little scoop.

Namechange6578 · 25/02/2026 22:31

InsolentAnnie · 24/02/2026 23:17

You need one of these. DH’s reaction was ‘I really didn’t want to like this but I can’t stop using it and thinking how useful it is’ 😂 https://www.lakeland.co.uk/12644/tea-tool-tea-bag-squeezer

So glad I came back, I have to get DH one of these! Had no idea a teabag squeezer was even an object that existed

Goatsarebest · 25/02/2026 22:23

Isittimeformynapyet · 25/02/2026 17:45

"Places like Maidstone" 😄 I love that.

Which specific characteristic of Maidstone should we be looking out for before heading out to buy a teapot?

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I have been to Maidstone once, 30 years ago and was served tea in a china tea pot. This was when those horrible stainless steel pots with wonky lids were everywhere so it made an impression. I just assumed that everyboby in Maidstone served tea propely. I think they do.

hoxtonE1 · 25/02/2026 22:00

Well obviously by now you're used to a cup of tea heavy in tannins, which don't add flavour, tannins actually make the tea more bitter and astringent; not a taste for everyone but hey, if you like it, it's the best ( if obviously not the 'nicest' way) to prepare a cup of tea for someone! Too bad you actually saw him doing this, now, after literally many 1000's of cups of tea prepared by your DH, you now know the secret to how you like it made! If DH's hand is accustomed to very hot water in a compress ( teabag) and he hasn't burned himself by now, at least any germs that were on his hands are killed off too? BTW, I don't think you are unreasonable...yuck

superchick · 25/02/2026 21:32

ThankFuckTheSunIsHere · 25/02/2026 21:16

But not for other people!

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No, not for other people.

DistractMe · 25/02/2026 21:31

He's an animal. LTB

FrangipaniBlue · 25/02/2026 21:29

Do the people who use their fingers to squeeze the bag also make coffee by grabbing it out of the jar between your fingers and thumb then use your peter pointer to stir it once the water and milk are in?

No. Didn’t think so.

Neanderthals the lot of you.

ThankFuckTheSunIsHere · 25/02/2026 21:16

superchick · 25/02/2026 21:02

I do this at work because theres never any spoons in the kitchen. I either leave to brew then squeeze and take out at my desk or just leave the bag in and drink it hot and strong.

But not for other people!

ThankFuckTheSunIsHere · 25/02/2026 21:15

TeaSqueezingpos · 24/02/2026 22:37

He said he doesn’t do it with the spoon on the side of the mug because it doesn’t get all of the tea out, he likes to really squeeze it out 😩😭

I’ve told him everytime I get him a glass of water I’m going to let the tap run off my hand as it enters his glass.

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🤣🤣🤣

superchick · 25/02/2026 21:02

I do this at work because theres never any spoons in the kitchen. I either leave to brew then squeeze and take out at my desk or just leave the bag in and drink it hot and strong.

Thechaseison71 · 25/02/2026 20:57

Nannyfannybanny · 25/02/2026 20:55

ainsleysanob, I know,it's completely over the top, the hysteria! Do these husbands prepare food,or have sex with these women.
.

Maybe wearing marigolds lol

Nannyfannybanny · 25/02/2026 20:55

ainsleysanob, I know,it's completely over the top, the hysteria! Do these husbands prepare food,or have sex with these women.
.

Buckfastburps · 25/02/2026 20:55

remarema · 25/02/2026 18:10

Lol I’m Irish and my dad does it.
His mother once saw him pegging clothes onto the line out the back and said “I can’t believe you’re letting your neighbours see you out there doing woman’s work”(!)
He was also ashamed to carry shopping bags in the street.
Somehow I always thought the spoon thing must stem from the same thing.
Or maybe he’s just too lazy to get a spoon.

Show quote history

😂
Must definitely be an Irish thing! My grandfather had hands like shovels, so I think the teaspoons were just too piddly and fiddly for him to deal with! He was very much a man's man, however his one domestic task (woman's work!) was the washing up, which he excelled in 🤣

Rhubarbandcustardd · 25/02/2026 19:47

Malinia · 25/02/2026 18:11

We have tongs for this. Definitely no hands!!

This is the solution OP..big time!

Malinia · 25/02/2026 18:11

We have tongs for this. Definitely no hands!!

To ask DH not to strain my teabag with his bare hands?
remarema · 25/02/2026 18:10

Buckfastburps · 25/02/2026 17:09

Thank you for making me laugh!
Is he Irish? My grandfather used to make tea like this 😂

Lol I’m Irish and my dad does it.
His mother once saw him pegging clothes onto the line out the back and said “I can’t believe you’re letting your neighbours see you out there doing woman’s work”(!)
He was also ashamed to carry shopping bags in the street.
Somehow I always thought the spoon thing must stem from the same thing.
Or maybe he’s just too lazy to get a spoon.