Would you say something to someone if you knew they didn’t wash their hands after using the toilet?

[asblindasabat]

On Christmas Day, my MIL Used the downstairs loo but didn’t wash her hands. I know this as our lounge is right beside the toilet and you can always hear the water running when the tap is on, which I didn’t hear. She went in, quickly went about her business, toilet flushed and out she came so it was very obvious.

I was going to ask her if she had forgot to wash her hands but I just couldn’t build the courage to do it! I had an audience and it would probably have looked liked I was starting an argument but I did feel somewhat uncomfortable with someone using the toilet, not washing their hands and then touching objects in my house.

if a guest in your house did this, would you just ignore it or would you just say it as it is?

@Lexi868 😂

And I have said that even if she didn’t use the toilet, she should have still washed her hands due to the fact she had touched the toilet to flush it, regardless of whether she actually used it or not. Don’t forget the ‘flush button’ ( not sure if there is an actual name for it) is touched by people after peeing or pooing - I do sanitise my toilets daily but despite that, they can’t be germ free.

I think touching the flush button alone is good enough reason to wash your hands. All she would be doing is picking up the germs from the flush button and transferring them to herself and other objects in my house.

Some shit? Not even particles or germs or bacteria? There’s just shit smeared on the toilet flush and door handle?

And how is washing her hands going to help matters if she’s then got to grapple with the shitty door handle to leave the toilet?

Another minger 🤮

Ok I get your point and all of it seems unhygienic but can we just admit that it's all pretty funny how much all of us are looking into it now at 1am...😂

Another minger 🤮

I'd also like to know where this person works who is finding shit smeared on door handles. Sounds frightening to me.

Another minger 🤮

I don’t think that’s anything to boast about, it’s not really that impressive. Germs are microscopic so just because your hands may appear to be clean after using the toilet, it doesn’t mean they actually are.

you may not make yourself sick, but when you touch other objects with your germ ridden hands, the next person to touch that object could infect themselves with those germs and get sick.

So many people not hand washing.
And if they’re all parents their dc are going to be disgusting too.
Goodness, if covid left any lasting legacy I would have thought hand washing after using a toilet would be near the top.

Our downstairs loo is right in between our living room and kitchen. It has the echoing acoustics of a cathedral. Our WC and water pipes are ancient and have characteristic noises which, after living here for over 20 years are engraved on my memory. It was useful to catch my dc when young when they were learning to wash their hands. I cannot help hearing the flush and then whoosh of taps flowing. In fact, I caught my eldest this evening because I hadn't heard the tap after the flush. I am sure this is the kind of set up Op has. I.e. you can't help but be a lavatory listener in some houses.

She really should have washed her hands because she touched the flush button/handle. Gross.

But I'm enjoying the thread, though it is shocking how many people don't wash after a wee.

it’s not really something most people would be listening for!
I watched a scientific program on tv one night about H&S around germs which concluded that there are no germs in urine so it doesn’t greatly matter about hand washing afterwards.

Yes, that is the setup at mine. Lounge is beside the kitchen and downstairs WC so it is quite often impossible to not hear someone flushing the toilet!

You are still in contact with a dirty toilet though…

I thought this too @Anotherbloomingchristmas not sure where people’s common sense has gone!

@Zazazoolly Yes but what if the person before you did a poo and transferred fecal matter to the flush handle????

Except your wouldn't know that she hadn't. You would just suspect.

Why you should wash your hands after peeing

Here’s the thing: Many types of illness-causing bacteria can contaminate public and private bathrooms, says Newman. This includes E. colii, Salmonellaa, and Staphylococcus aureuss_, just to name a few microbes.
Many of these microorganisms can survive for several hours on inanimate surfaces, assuming the bathroom wasn’t just cleaned, explains Newman. “Others, such as noroviruss, Clostridioides difficilee, and hepatitis AA_, can survive for weeks or months,” she adds. For example, according to Newman, C. difficile—a gastrointestinal bacteria that cause nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea—has evolved to form spores or a protective “shell” that allows it to survive for up to five (yes, five) months.

It’s the same when I go for a number 2, I don’t usually get poo on my hands but I still give my hands a thorough wash with hot water and hand-wash to rinse off/kill any germs I may have got on my hands!

Washing your hands is not only polite, it’s just basic hygiene. Why wouldn’t you just take 20 seconds to wash your hands?

After reading that I am just grossed out even more when I realise that people don’t always wash their hands.

Sorry, hadn’t finished writing before this posted! Don’t know how that happened. Meant to say in these days of covid I think everyone should wash their hands at every opportunity especially after touching toilet seats etc

@asblindasabat I am with you!

I don’t understand how people even feel clean without washing their hands after the toilet? I’d feel so dirty knowing I could potentially have god knows what germs on my hands. I actually think I’d have to go back to the bathroom and just wash them as it would do my head in!

Gross, but probably better not to say anything to not be awkward, although next time you could remove the hand towel and say oh I'll just get you a new hand towel or something else to hint to wash her hands.

Also ... is there a chance she didn't actually use the loo, maybe she just went in to fart?? 😳 although do appreciate PP re getting germs from flush

😂👏