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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

aibu to think its not terrible to not wash you hands after going the loo

336 replies

FluffedUpFerretOnSteroids · 15/08/2013 13:28

I obviously wash my hands after going in a public toliet, but at home I don't mind because I don't touch anything except the loo roll aibu?

OP posts:

SPBisResisting · 16/08/2013 22:52

"I always wash my hands before food prep or touching my kids' face or similar. "

Really, so if your child bumps his or her head you dash off to wash your hands before examining the injury?

Trazzletoes · 16/08/2013 22:52

I'm with shuffle on this.
It's basic hygiene. I've always washed my hands after all those things. But am extremely fussy now DS doesn't have much of an immune system.

usualsuspect · 16/08/2013 22:53

You know what, discussing hand washing is boring as fuck.

What the hell I'm doing on this thread God only knows.

Dullsville.

ImNotBloody14 · 16/08/2013 22:57

"I think that you are sweetly naive about how much bacteria your foo, toilet, flush, taps and knickers contain."

not naïve. I am happy with the level of bacteria that are on my toilet, flush etc. i'm happy with that level being there because I don't eat off my toilet flush, I don't touch my face with my toilet flush, I don't then kiss my dcs with my toilet flush or serve guests a cup of tea off the toilet flush. I don't carry my toilet flush around my house and wipe it on door handles, light switches, toothbrushes, forks, children's toys, food, remote controls etc etc. I also wash my hands after I have touched the toilet flush!

Remotecontrolduck · 16/08/2013 23:06

I'm just a bit lost as to why you wouldn't wash them really. It's hardly an arduous task. Takes 30 seconds. It doesn't really matter if there's bacteria on the towel/dog/phone as well, I don't really want to be adding several thousand more piss and shit germs to the mix!

Each to their own I suppose!

SPBisResisting · 16/08/2013 23:25

I also get irritated by people who splash water on the tips of their fingers.
Anyway, right or wrong, people who don't wash will never actually convince me - it's a comfort thing for me as much as anything. I would be interested if anyone has any specific knowledge though - I think PacificDogwood is an expert? Also about the antibac gel which CANNOT be anything like as good as a good hand wash?

Quackadoodledo · 16/08/2013 23:48

When I was a kid I developed an obsession of not eating a thing my mum made me.

The bathroom was next to my bedroom and I was convinced she didn't wash her hands.

It makes me feel sick just thinking about it.

It takes two seconds to wash your hands!!!

ImNotBloody14 · 16/08/2013 23:58

ooh quack that has reminded me.

when I was at college I had a part-time job in a local beauty salon and the owner used to take the shortest time ever to use the loo and I was also convinced she couldn't have been washing her hands at all in the time she was in there. the toilet always flushed so I guess she was at least peeing or blowing her nose but it really was so quick. and then she would come out and go and do a facial or a manicure on someone and I used to feel sick about it.

Misspixietrix · 17/08/2013 17:45

at the Milton Bucket Post but yes there's no convincing me neither ~

MadeOfStarDust · 17/08/2013 19:08

my dad was a food hygienist - he said folks live under a false sense of cleanliness by just washing their hands for 20 sec after going to the loo..

you need to rub, with soap and water - preferably hot - for long enough to sing the Happy birthday to you song 3 times - you need to clean between each finger, over and under the fingernails, around your thumbs, beyond your wrist - AND make sure you clean the tap before cleaning your hands - or you will transfer the bacteria back anyhow. - all of this, of course AFTER flushing the loo with the lid down.

littlemog · 17/08/2013 19:35

Probably best not to bother at all then eh?

MadeOfStarDust · 17/08/2013 19:56

noooo.. but folks should not think their hands are actually clean when all they've done is turn on a tap with "germ riddled" hands, give them a cursory rub under running water that they can't be bothered to wait til it is hot, turn off the tap with wet hands, picking up germs that they put on there when they turned it on, then half drying hands quickly on a towel - ensuring a nice damp rich growing-environment for the germs...

so, no, not "best not to bother", but maybe best to actually clean hands rather than go through the whole charade....

diddl · 17/08/2013 20:29

Perhaps we should all use the anti bac stuff that's used in hospitals, because we invariably touch a germ riddled tap after washing?

Or get automatic taps?

AmazingBouncingFerret · 17/08/2013 20:42

Or not get so het up about germs?

diddl · 17/08/2013 20:49

Well yes!

After what Stardust posted, I'm beginning to think that at almost 50, I've never actually washed my hands properly!

OnTheBottomWithAWomensWeekly · 17/08/2013 22:11

Got to love all the "it takes seconds" smug folks being just as germ riddled as those they are complaining about!

DrHolmes · 17/08/2013 22:19

Not sure if anyone had said this but you know you have to turn the tap on with unclean hands, wash them and then turn the unclean tap off so any germs you just washed off will just be transferred back onto your hand? At work there is a notice to say turn the tap on, wash hands, turn tap off with a bit of toilet paper. I thought toilet paper also held germs. Yes washing hands gives you a nice fresh feeling and I do wash after every toilet trip but I'm not sure it reduces germs very much. I think that's why outside every toilet and before every handrail at work we have antibacterial gel to use.

Libertine73 · 18/08/2013 14:53

Well, all I can say is some of your hands must have hardly any skin on!!

I touch my dog constantly and no, never wash my hand after!

the bin, no I never wash my hands when I chuck stuff in it. Or when I wipe the counters down.

I'm never ill, and neither are the kids

harverina · 18/08/2013 15:06

Yabu. People who don't wash their hands after going to the loo make me boak.

I am not obsessed with hygiene btw I just don't like walking around with poo and pee on my hands.

It's even worse that you don't wash them in your own home - think how manky your door handles must be

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

littlemog · 18/08/2013 16:51

Only on MN would you be called 'smug' for bothering to wash your hands after using the loo. I like to think of it as a parallel universe of dirty people.

AmazingBouncingFerret · 18/08/2013 17:28

I don't think the OP bothers to actually close the door when peeing so she doesn't need to worry about door handles!

Trazzletoes · 18/08/2013 20:59

Those who are excited about the "washers" being germ-ridden... One hand for wiping and flushing, other hand for taps. It's not difficult.

Libertine73 · 18/08/2013 21:09

I'm going to bow out now, as I cannot get my fanny in a sandy twist about washing my hands after having a wank stroking my dog.

everlong · 18/08/2013 21:12

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OnTheBottomWithAWomensWeekly · 18/08/2013 22:42

Only on mn would people fail to read or understand rhe thread so often. Yet again, noone was called smug for washing their hands. Do catch up folks.

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