To think people should wash their hands?

[DeepPurple]

In a restaurant with dd at lunch time. I took her to the toilet and a woman took her ds at the same time. We came out of the cubicle first and were hand washing when they came out and walked straight out in to the restaurant.

They sat back at their table and proceeded to eat lunch

Before anyone days it, they didn't use any anti bac gel or wipes either.

So AIBU? Is this the new thing?

[VerySmallSqueak]

It depends what persona I'm in.

In everyday life it revolts me when people don't wash their hands after the loo.

But in my outdoorsy persona I can stomach a quite remarkable lack of hygiene.

[thornrose]

Well we now know why there are pissy peanuts in bars. Were you joking Simontowers?

[oaks2012]

Oh, and about MRSA - I was told that the superbugs have come from the hospitals being too clean -- is that wrong then? I was given a very feasible explanation to why (cant quite remember now - but was from SIL so can find out from her if anyone is interested)

[pepperrabbit]

We were out for lunch at the weekend and I took DD to the loo, we were just starting to wash our hands when a young woman came in, on the phone, she did her business - still on the phone - tutted at us for using the hand drier as she couldn't hear and walked straight out, no hand washing at all.
What really shocked me though, as we followed her down the stairs, was that she picked up a small baby as she got back to her table! Even if you don't care about yourself catching stuff, surely with a say, 4 month old, you'd have a care?

[countrykitten]

70 will know but I think that sounds dubious. I thought MRSA came from unhygenic, non-handwashing, poo fingered dirtballs a few of whom are posting without shame on here

[MyDarlingClementine]

what if they used tissue to flush and tissue to open door, and didn't want to wash?

[MandragoraWurzelstock]

It's about the ecosystem basically

you have plant life on your hands, on surfaces, on the human body...it's a system, it is fairly balanced and then you interfere with it, by killing off the easier to kill germs, so there's nothing to keep the nastier ones in check. They proliferate - like when you use antibiotics, they destroy the good as well as the bad, but only the super bad ones survive and that's how people get superbugs taking hold.

If I were you (or anyone) I would be avoiding alcohol hand gels like the plague, and washing my hands a bit more often. Especially as loads of germy people have touched the dispensers.

[countrykitten]

MDC but have they wiped? (Please say yes) And if so they should hand wash! Germs from piss and shit permeate loo roll for goodness sake!

[MandragoraWurzelstock]

MRSA is simply a resistant bug

it's evolved partly because of over or misuse of antibiotics afaik

but it is allowed to flourish in situations where other, less dangerous bacteria are not present

and it is spread by people not washing their hands, to rinse it off, as the gels do not kill it OR wash it off iyswim

reliance on the gels is a very bad idea

[countrykitten]

I am in some sort of shock that people don't wash their hands after the loo as a matter of course. I may faint soon.

[Happy247]

When out of the house with DD we hardly ever wash our hands after visiting the bathroom but use anti b gel once outside. She has SEN and finds the noise of the dryer unbearable...if its only us in the bathroom we will wash and shake to dry! Just please be aware that not all children/adults can cope with the sensory overload.

[OneHandFlapping]

"what if they used tissue to flush and tissue to open door, and didn't want to wash?"

Tissue is hardly a germ-prood barrier!

[countrykitten]

Why not shake to dry if there are people there too? It seems that the gel is not effective. I hate those bloody dryers too especially the Dyson ones that threaten to take your skin off

[OneHandFlapping]

prood = proof

[Happy247]

country- somebody might already be using the dryer,(how scary would that be for her ) the anticipation... someone is washing their hands and might use the dryer any second, lots of people being in there...her speech and expressive language are improving daily, give DD a month or 2 and she will be able to explain what else scares her!!

[countrykitten]

Yes sorry - I see exactly what you mean!

[VerySmallSqueak]

I really think it's the whole toilet business itself that is filthy.
It's just an abundance of germs in one place.
For sure I wash after using a loo.

But a nice quick pee in a bush has surely got to be a pretty clean affair so long as you don't actually piddle all over your hands?It's not a quick wee that's the problem,it's the breeding places you touch that are associated with it imo.

[EmmaGellerGreen]

Happy got there first! Until a while ago, DS was terrified of hand dryers and consequently of toilets outside homes altogether, especially the thought of someone else using them! So it was always in and out as quickly as possible for us and hand gel when we were clear of the noises. We never died / got ill from toilet germs!

[DeepPurple]

At least you used a hand gel though EmmaGeller! It might not be the best option but at least you did what you could.

I can't believe that some people are openly admitting that they don't wash their hands. Genuine question, do you wash your hands at home after using the loo?

[DeepPurple]

VerySmall, it's funny really cos in an open space the lack of hand washing would bother me less. Probably because there are less likely to be other people's germs teaming everywhere! On the few occasions I have had to do this/take DD, I have tended to either at least use a baby wipe or splash my hands with outlet water. It feels like a nod in the right direction until proper hand washing facilities are available!

I really hate using public toilets only to discover the soap has run out. Shudder.

[DeepPurple]

Outlet water? Bottled of course

[HoppinMad]

I always wash hands after using the loo, and have taught dc(3) to do the same, in fact he has to use handwash too or has a meltdown.
Other day he was on the loo (no.2) while I was on the phone, told him to wait just a minute for me to wipe and wash him (messy bugger), but he decided to jump off the toilet straight after his business, whipped pants up but washed his hands WITH soap so proud sniff

I am a bit anal about try and avoid public toilets, as the thought of other peoples germs all over toilet handle/cubicle doors etc has me in a cold sweat. I have ishoos, I know.

[ZebraOwl]

Lots of people have MRSA just hanging out on their skin doing no damage/causing no trouble: they do swabs to check if you're MRSA+ before planned hospital admissions (esp surgical ones!) so they can take necessary precautions to prevent it starting to Cause Trouble.

As to handwashing, I accidentally made a woman think I was telling her off when I was in fact directing a Brownie to wash her hands after she'd been to the loo. Thankfully she looked mortified & headed back to the sinks rather than coming & giving me a slap with her manky dirty nasty hands. On another Brownie Trip I got asked if I'm a doctor whilst I was in the loos at the museum we were visiting because of how thoroughly I wash my hands...

[countrykitten]

Some folks are just plain dirty.

[katolla]

On the train yesterday, the man before me was in the toilet for ages and left something terrible. I went in to change dd and then couldn't get the stupid taps to work. Didn't know if I was doing it wrong so I asked him in front of everyone if he'd managed to wash his hands. He looked sheepish and said no. I am mean. (And then i realised I had baby wipes I could use).

Never touch anything on trains because its covered in this man's diarrhoea poo germs.