AIBU to think washing hands before emptying the dishwasher is unnecessary

I wouldn't know, but having seen her, if I thought she might be regularly emptying the dishwasher at work I would be either not be using those things or quietly washing them first! Certainly the cutlery.

Yes I have to take an unknown chance in restaurants and so on, but that doesn't mean I just stop caring everywhere.

I don't think the people who do this sort of nose wiping and touching with their fingers can have any clue how repulsive some people find it, or they wouldn't do it. Or those who lick their fingers after eating something and then right in front of you go straight back to their keyboards.

I don't care if my immune system will eventually deal with any infection (it might involve making me ill first of course), I don't want anything from someone else's nose anywhere near my plate or cutlery, thanks.

Why do you think it's okay to spread your germs over clean dishes? Do you hate the world? So glad I don't work with you.

@SharkyBait i have no idea. The swine 🤣

As if everyone is obsessively washing their hands before emptying the dishwasher 🙄

If it’s true (which I doubt) then I guess they were also the same people washing their shopping during Covid.

This sounds like something one of my teenagers would say to get out of washing their hands tbh.

I wash my hands before I do anything in the kitchen unless I’ve just washed them elsewhere. It’s second nature to me.

Why are your dh’s hands covered in jam and gravy? 🤣

Does she wash the cupboards before she puts the cups away too?

Under normal circs i wouldn't wash my hands b4 emptying the dishwasher. Depends what i've been doing tho, if my hands need washing, i'll wash them regardless of what i'm doing next.

Does her or your job involve handling things like money or dusty files and paperwork? Some people can be very squeamlish about computer keyboards (some are very rank).

Hang on a sec, I'll just text my housekeeper and the maid to see what they do.

I'm sure I've eaten something prepared by someone who hasn't washed their hands after going to the loo- doesn't mean I'm going to stop washing my hands!

I wash hands before doing kitchen jobs, so probably would do it automatically.

Of course you have clean hands to handle clean crockery. Otherwise it would need washing again.

I tend to wash my hands whenever I’m in the kitchen anyway so I would probably do it without even thinking.

It would be one thing doing it at home where at least it's only your own family being affected and you can pretty much be sure you're all sharing hand germs anyway, but at work it's different.

I seriously wonder sometimes if the basic concept of germs as vectors of disease has been completely forgotten. It's as if people think it can't happen, when it's literally how it happens.

I really really don't want my colleague who's always wiping her nose with her fingers to empty the dishwasher and leave her hand germs all over the things I might use. It's beyond disgusting.

It is. I live with 3 boys. I dream of my own lovely apartment sometimes. 🤣

I mean, if your hands are covered in jam or gravy surey you wash them before touching anything, otherwise your house must be sticky all over ?

Yeah, I don’t do it for the germs. I don’t want plates smeared with jam or gravy. I’d rather have a visibly clean plate. My husband does leave jam and gravy on clean plates. It’s v v v annoying

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.

@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.

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!

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

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.