Page 6 | AIBU to think washing hands before emptying the dishwasher is unnecessary

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 2026-09-15T14:21:10+00:00

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?

WearingBeautifulShoes · 15/09/2026 20:21

Buildingthefuture · 15/09/2026 19:55

tea towels and undies? 🤮🤮🤮 Absolutely not!!!!

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Why not?? Both items are literally being washed in very hot water and detergent.

FelixRyark · 15/09/2026 20:38

Hand washing is part of any food safety course in the UK and I remember being told about clean hands as the first step to emptying any dishwasher.

I honestly do it automatically, same as washing my hands before touching food I’m preparing.

If that was my workplace, I’d rewash a mug or plate every time I took one out to use it.

IsThistheMiddleofNowhere · 15/09/2026 20:50

Its never occurred to me to do that although I can see the thinking behind it I guess. Don't think I'll be changing my ways now though.

TheOwlShootAtNight · 15/09/2026 20:52

Washing hands before cooking, serving food, emptying dishwasher is just basic hygiene. However lots of people never learnt basic hygiene. Also towels used to dry hands should be regularly changed and washed- nothing worse when visiting friends or family and the towel in the bathroom is so dirty that you would have been better off not washing your hands.

GhoulWithADragonTattoo · 15/09/2026 21:05

I think you should for a shared dishwasher like a work one. At home it only really an issue if your hands are dirty after eg after cooking.

ArtxeTibA · 15/09/2026 21:28

TheOwlShootAtNight · 15/09/2026 20:52

Washing hands before cooking, serving food, emptying dishwasher is just basic hygiene. However lots of people never learnt basic hygiene. Also towels used to dry hands should be regularly changed and washed- nothing worse when visiting friends or family and the towel in the bathroom is so dirty that you would have been better off not washing your hands.

Or the towel's on a hook far far too close to the toilet in a house with boys in.

Mischance · 15/09/2026 21:48

Buildingthefuture · 15/09/2026 19:55

tea towels and undies? 🤮🤮🤮 Absolutely not!!!!

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Are you serious? ... I just bung it all in together!

Homealonelez · 15/09/2026 21:54

She’s right what’s the point of taking clean dishes out of dishwasher with unwashed hands

Sahara123 · 15/09/2026 22:26

ArtxeTibA · 15/09/2026 18:48

Of course it might be whether or not the people you encounter wash their hands that's more likely to affect how often you are ill, rather than how often you wash your own. I don't think Typhoid Mary was ever ill!

I don't think most people would count a quick swill under the hot tap as handwashing - you can wash hands properly with normal soap very quickly.

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My point was that lots of people don’t wait for the hot water to come through so end up swishing their hands in cold water so is fairly pointless. Looking 👀 at you husband !

Original poster

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 15/09/2026 22:29

Homealonelez · 15/09/2026 21:54

She’s right what’s the point of taking clean dishes out of dishwasher with unwashed hands

What's the point of anything?

I'm going to immediately touch and unwashed cupboard door to put them on the shelf...

The cleaners might have wiped the door down that morning, but 5 hours later or whatever dozens of people have opened the door... Somebody may have picked up the plate you're about to use and put it back after changing their minds...

We don't live in sterile environments, so washing your hands to put a mug in a cupboard or plate on a shelf is a complete waste of time.

OP posts:

Original poster

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 15/09/2026 22:31

TheOwlShootAtNight · 15/09/2026 20:52

Washing hands before cooking, serving food, emptying dishwasher is just basic hygiene. However lots of people never learnt basic hygiene. Also towels used to dry hands should be regularly changed and washed- nothing worse when visiting friends or family and the towel in the bathroom is so dirty that you would have been better off not washing your hands.

Basic hygiene would actually be swap out towels after every use 🤷

OP posts:

TheOwlShootAtNight · 15/09/2026 22:35

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 15/09/2026 22:31

Basic hygiene would actually be swap out towels after every use 🤷

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No it would not.

Itsabyenow · 15/09/2026 22:43

I wouldn’t be shocked if I saw someone at work taking stuff out the dishwasher without washing their hands. I mean half the population don’t wash their hands coming out the toilet so it’s no surprise lol

It’s partly why I don’t use stuff in most workplace kitchens except maybe a cup which I’ll run under hot water first and even then I prefer to have my own 😂

But yeah it would be better if they did wash their hands first! I wouldn’t say anything to them if they never though. I don’t think it’s my place to. I just live and let live with workplace stuff.

I live alone and do wash my hands first but if I was at say my sisters house I wouldn’t bat at eyelid if she didn’t. Probably because I have more faith in the cleanliness of my family’s hands than Sally from HR. And I just don’t get grossed out by my family the same way as I do with other people. I wouldn’t share toothbrushes or anything lol but I can deal with a certain level of sisterly germs 😆

dizzydizzydizzy · 16/09/2026 03:56

Allseeingallknowing · 15/09/2026 19:19

Often the opposite is true!

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Indeed! I probably should have said ‘restaurant kitchens are supposed to operate to much higher hygiene standards than home kitchens because they are preparing
food for many more people and there is a higher chance of cross contamination due to preparing multiple meals at different stages at the same time.’

Cheese55 · 16/09/2026 05:55

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 15/09/2026 22:29

What's the point of anything?

I'm going to immediately touch and unwashed cupboard door to put them on the shelf...

The cleaners might have wiped the door down that morning, but 5 hours later or whatever dozens of people have opened the door... Somebody may have picked up the plate you're about to use and put it back after changing their minds...

We don't live in sterile environments, so washing your hands to put a mug in a cupboard or plate on a shelf is a complete waste of time.

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Nor do we want to live in a sterile environment. What do you think is going to happen if you suddenly stopped the endless handwashing.

Original poster

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 16/09/2026 07:00

TheOwlShootAtNight · 15/09/2026 22:35

No it would not.

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But using a towel after someone drying their hands in it means you are drying your hands on a dirty towel....

OP posts:

Cheese55 · 16/09/2026 07:04

OhNoooooooooooooooo · 16/09/2026 07:00

But using a towel after someone drying their hands in it means you are drying your hands on a dirty towel....

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Its not dirty! It's just been used, that's not the same thing. I'm surprised you dont have paper towel dispensers at home, as that is cleaner than a towel.

Glazerblazer · 16/09/2026 07:10

I definitely wash my hands more than 30 times a day, probably already washed them 10 times this morning!

Cheese55 · 16/09/2026 07:13

Glazerblazer · 16/09/2026 07:10

I definitely wash my hands more than 30 times a day, probably already washed them 10 times this morning!

Do you think that's 'normal'?

beaglescurleduplikebagels · 16/09/2026 07:15

Cheese55 · 16/09/2026 07:04

Its not dirty! It's just been used, that's not the same thing. I'm surprised you dont have paper towel dispensers at home, as that is cleaner than a towel.

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Of course it’s dirty, it’s damp from whoever last used it and will be breeding bacteria. Also you have no idea if the last person to use it actually washed their hands properly.

Not that I think any of that is a major drama but technically PP is correct.

Glazerblazer · 16/09/2026 07:40

Cheese55 · 16/09/2026 07:13

Do you think that's 'normal'?

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When you have boys - yes 🤪

summater · 16/09/2026 07:42

Depends what I was doing beforehand

Bonkers1966 · 16/09/2026 08:03

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UniquePinkSwan · 16/09/2026 08:09

No wonder people get ill so much if you are washing your hands before emptying the dishwasher. Your immune system is shot. It hasn’t built up anything

Princessconsuelabananahammock9 · 16/09/2026 08:09

Yes. I don’t want dirty hands touching dirty dishes.

Not everyone has great immune systems. I don’t need extra exposure to germs.

I’m autoimmune compromised, I wash my hands every time I come in the house and I rarely get sick.