MIL wont wash her hands

[Pink3489]

Hi all,

How would you approach this? My MIL wont wash her hands after using the bathroom at mine. I'm a bit uptight when it comes to germs so this bothers me. I dont want to offend or embarrass her. What do you think I should do?

I lived with a housemate who didn't wash her hands after the loo. I knew because the loo was in it's own room so saw she never went into the adjacent bathroom afterwards.
We once had a workman around to fix something, he used the loo and didn't wash his hands. We both thought he was a bit gross and were having a moan about him together and I really rammed home how I thought it was awful he didn't wash his hands to make the point. Not sure it was taken on board!

we were never taught to as children

We were. We had a dysentery outbreak at primary school and had to have monitors in the toilets to make sure that we washed our hands.

I always notice when people don’t wash their hands. It’s the years of being tuned in to the sound of the sink following the flush while training small children. Ds was (and sometimes still is) a bugger for forgetting, so I’d notice and bellow “hands!” from the other side of the house without really being aware I’m doing it.

I’d probably do that and follow with “Oh, sorry, habit, thought you were ds” 😁

Ew, so disgusting, I'd hate that too. I think as it's your MIL, your DH needs to have a word...he could explain that with the new baby coming, you all have to be really careful about germs so he's reminding everyone to be very particular in how they wash their hands.

I’d ask her to wash her hands. I’m sure she can handle it.

I am! I thought everyone on MN was either from the very rural North or London, but this username keeps bringing out people from Reading who recognise it

Make a big thing about there not being a clean towel in the bathroom and when she is ongoing in. Hand it to her to wash her hands

I have eczema and use sanitiser or wet wipes. Hardly ever use soap and water. Maybe she's the same?

I love this idea! I'm 100% going to do this next time!

No she doesnt have skin conditions on her hands. I know because I get told about every problem/condition she gets in graphic detail 😂

I'm going to buy the fancy handwash and make a point of saying 'here's a clean hand towel, I forgot to replace it earlier' 😉

Everyone is a winner then!

Appears more common for men to not bother after a pee, guess they don't think they're touching the business end. See plenty of men coming out of the loos at work zipping themselves up 😱😱
We have this too. Grim.

Can you be sure that she's not washing her hands whilst the toilet is flushing & you don't hear it?

Talk to her. The baby is a good enough reason.

Hope all goes well with the baby.

Thank you :)

100% not washing her hands when the toilet is flushing. I know this because she is flushing and then 2 seconds later is opening the door. Also, I can hear the sink going after other people have flushed.

I wish we lived in a bigger place where I didnt hear the plumbing work and then it wouldnt bother me as I would be nonthewiser! I know its my issue and not hers.

How alta hand washing is over rated. I rarely wash my hands after the loo and never get I'll

So do I, I thought everyone did this?

What is it you are actually worrying about happening as a result of not washing hands? I'm assuming this is generally after a wee, and she is not preparing food for you afterwards so I can't see how it affects you?

Urgh! This is how covid spread so rapidly. People not washing their hands. And people clearly weren't washing their hands because as soon as covid arrived they went out and brought soap (obviously didn't have any before).

@Cheeselog

why do you think?

trains etc are used by many many people, you have to touch stuff like the rails and the ticket machines etc stuff that’s been touched by loads of other people and rarely cleaned etc etc

it’s a haven for spreading germs

surely it’s obvious

@Thedungeondragon

its minging

@SavingsThreads

grim

This. You are overtly modelling hand washing and research shows that the more different people kids see modelling a behaviour, the more likely they are to take it up (this is actually true) so can she make a performance of it for them, please?

Unless you have a baby. Then, I don’t know. Probably need to just suck it up. You can’t make her.

Covid is spread through air droplets, not physical contact.

Children are great for this.