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Original poster

AIBU to think washing hands before emptying the dishwasher is unnecessary

219 replies

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 15/09/2026 15:21

Well now I've heard it all... I was emptying the dishwasher at work, cuz I'm nice like that . and my colleague was there, making a cup of tea. And she remarked and wondered why I didn't wash my hands before emptying and said dishwasher.

Who washes their hands to empty the dishwasher?

OP posts:
Longleaf · 15/09/2026 15:23

Oh. It would never occur to me to do so, but my standards are shocking on MN. This will be interesting.

bebanjo · 15/09/2026 15:23

Depends when you last washed them, what you were doing before hand.

Lomonald · 15/09/2026 15:27

I always wash my hands before I empty the dishwasher at home, it is just a habit it wouldn't bother me if someone else didn't though.

W0tnow · 15/09/2026 15:28

It’s never occurred to me to do it. I’d class myself as hygiene aware. Not overly so, but aware.

MelonSorbet · 15/09/2026 15:28

Why would you?!

ShesRunningOutTheDoor · 15/09/2026 15:29

My husband doesn’t wash his and our plates always have greasy finger prints on them. I bloody wish he would

Cleosinsttropez · 15/09/2026 15:31

I always do, I just feel if I’m putting away clean dishes and cutlery I should ensure my hands are clean first! My husband would say I’m OTT with cleanliness, so maybe it’s unusual? Interested in the other replies!

Edit- in an office I would always wash any shared cutlery or dishes/cups before I used them as I definitely witnessed colleagues not washing their hands after going to the loo, I wouldn’t want to eat or drink from anything they had touched first!

searchforthesun · 15/09/2026 15:32

I always wash my hand before emptying it. Your touching clean things that you use to eat. Basic hygiene I would have thought.

Telecone · 15/09/2026 15:34

Yabu. I always wash my hands when I empty the dishwasher.

DC555 · 15/09/2026 15:34

I’m a bit neurotic about handwashing and would always wash my hands before unloading the dishwasher - especially in a workplace setting where you’ve probably touched hundreds of surfaces without even realising, which you’re then transferring onto items other people will use.

Having said that, I doubt my husband does it, and I don’t rewash things at work before I use them, so I’m not totally germaphobic. I just feel a bit icky about transferring my not-clean hands onto nice clean plates.

Tissueboxes · 15/09/2026 15:37

I wash my hands every time I come into the house from work/using public transport, anything out doors really, before handling food or crockery and utensils, obviously after using the loo.
It is just common sense IMO.
Computer keyboards are dirtier and more germ ridden than your toilet, so it is sensible to wash your hands and sanitise your keyboard and phone regularly.
Door handles and lift buttons are known to be pretty grimy too.

Tallestone · 15/09/2026 15:40

Unless my hands were partially dirty from cooking I wouldn't

SmallDFartyCarNRG · 15/09/2026 15:41

I have if I have handled meat or been potting plants. Did you have teabag juice or jam all over you OP?

Springtimeinsunshine · 15/09/2026 15:42

Never thought about it tbh but I guess it would depend on what I was doing just before. At home I wouldn't as I wash my hands a lot anyway but at work if i had been reading a newspaper/book or throwing rubbish in the bin or eaten food then I would. If I had returned my coffee mug to the canteen after visiting the toilet (and therefore hands were washed) then I wouldn't.

What had you done just before?

Bogstandardname · 15/09/2026 15:42

We always wash our hands before emptying
the dishwasher

MirandaWest · 15/09/2026 15:43

I have never considered washing my hands before emptying the dishwasher

Hollowvoice · 15/09/2026 15:44

I've never thought about it but do it by default...I almost always run the dishwasher in the evening and empty it next morning. In the morning I go to the bathroom and obviously wash my hands then next stop is the kitchen to make a cuppa and empty the dishwasher while the kettle boils.

RitaIncognita · 15/09/2026 15:45

I do generally wash my hands before I unload the dishwasher.

bananaapplepears · 15/09/2026 15:46

I wash my hands before emptying the dishwasher.

ArtxeTibA · 15/09/2026 15:48

I would wash my hands if I hadn't otherwise washed them recently, yes.

I also always try to pick up cutlery from the dishwasher by the neck or handle, so I don't put my fingerprints all over the actual working ends of cutlery people will be eating with. Seems basic tbh.

Given the number of people who regularly do things like wipe their noses with their fingers and just carry on, I'd also wash things if other people had unloaded the dishwasher. Wouldn't trust a lot of people to be even minimally clean, from what I've seen.

Pedant61 · 15/09/2026 15:49

You are correct, OP - it would never occur to me. I really don't understand these people who are obsessed with "hygiene", tbh.

RemindMeIn15Minutes · 15/09/2026 15:52

If I was at work, I would not want some minger who’d just been to the toilet and not washed their hands taking my cup out of the dishwasher!

TheBlueKoala · 15/09/2026 15:52

@OhNoooooooooooooooo
Funny, I just had an argument with my dh a couple of days ago. Emprying the disjwasher is normally my job but he started doing it and I told him to wash his hands first. He went away huffing. Later he did tell me that he agreed that it was the thing to do however. I ALWAYS wash my hands before emptying the dishwasher. It comes as natural as washing my hands before food prep.

Original poster
OhNoooooooooooooooo · 15/09/2026 15:52

But all the hand washers.... You've unknowingly eaten and drunk from all these contaminated pieces of cutlery and crockery for ever. Like when you go to any restaurant, do you genuinely think all the staff wash their hands before touching any of the cutlery crumbling between serving Etc. or when you go to like a canteen or something. People have touched those knives and forks and the little cutlery holders.

I don't think it does us any harm really.
The human body is pretty good at fighting minor infections etc.

OP posts:
Longleaf · 15/09/2026 15:54

Some people's hands must be very sore from all this washing. I'd love to see a study as to the relative levels of illness experienced by the handwashers and otherwise.