Horrified watching my aunt prepare today's lunch...

[user1477282676]

Just checking that I'm not being super sensitive! Was at MIL's today for lunch...Aunt was in charge of potatoes which were to be boiled and covered in garlic, butter and herbs.

Lovely.

Except...not.

I had to watch her as she put the butter etc in and using a selection of utensils, repeatedly lick them after she'd stirred the potatoes...and then plunge them into the potatoes again....good stir....back into the butter dish...more licking...back into the potatoes...then back into the butter...another good lick.

Boak.

She then, coughed into the pot for good measure.

This is a bit lighthearted by the way....she's not in her dotage or anything...60 years old and perfectly together...she knew I was sititng there watching.

I had been looking forward to a nice spud! I had to refuse them and eat meat and salad!

What gets INTO some people?

And I have looked it up, In depth. Genetic autoimmune disorders are in my family.

And thats enough of that. Sorry for derailing OP.

Wookie no it doesn't but there is pretty impressive research from reputable bodies linking auto immune disease to over fussy hygiene standards.

Not bothered by spoon licking in the slightest. More germs on your average door handle.

Im a clinician I work in the field. I'm trying not to derail post but it is relevant.

My MIL did this with custard - stirring in brandy or something so poured in the brandy, stirred it, licked it, back in. Vom.

It obviously doesn't occur to some people but has almost ruined custard for me.

Since when has basic hygiene (as in, don't double dip) been reclassified as 'over fussy'? I must have missed that memo.

Agreed Sirchenin.

ThinkI might go off and lick a toilet bowl. Hopefully this will cure my asthma.

grew up with a dm who was shit at cleaning, but somehow still have asthma

that's nothing. As gross as it is, it isn't likely to do you any harm. I had to watch my MIL baste the turkey with butter directly from the packet and repeatedly reurn the knife she was using to the butter. I couldn't believe my eyes. Could have ended up poisend and I had a baby at the time who would have been having the butter on his toast. I skulked about in the kitchen and then stealthily binned said butter afterwards!

'isn't likely' is not really good enough though when 'is impossible' is the alternative result of not double dipping.

Nursy1 - whilst I do not wish to get into a medical debate my autoimmune condition has absolutely nothing and I repeat nothing to so with over fussy hygiene and I am really upset that you can trivialise a serious medical condition like that. Granted the research says some and I repeat some autoimmune conditions may and I repeat may be linked your statements are too general and sweeping in nature (and although I am not boasting I am married to a senior medical researcher)

Dotty. I don't see at any point that I trivialised any medical condition. I didn't really want to get into a big debate about it but objected to being told I was totally wrong. My initial point was that too fussy hygiene standards can contribute towards the development of Asthma and Coeliac. There is such a body of research about this it's becoming quite widely accepted. Granted it may be an interplay between environment and genetic susceptibility.

In a clinical environment I am really careful about hygiene. In the everyday world meeting a few viruses and bacteria won't harm you long term and may actually do you good.

And BTW I agree that we are only talking about some autoimmune conditions. It's a link and that's all

Nursy1 - eczema too I believe.

Guys! Some of these comments are just crazy! We build our immune systems on other peoples 'germs'. If you're too clean, you won't build up any immunity and probably have colds all the time. Unless someone is sick, licking a blinkin spoon is not going to hurt anyone!

"Oh for goodness sake! This is normal family germ sharing. This is why all our kids have asthma and coeliac you fussy lot."

This seemed like a pretty flippant abd trivialising comment nursy

And

Yep. You were the one who widened it out to all autoimmune diseases.

Oh DFOD.

If you want to see some good spoon licking, try watching le meilleur patissier (french bakeoff).

I don't double dip and really don't like it when people do so, but would be interested to know the scientific level of risk involved... Either the person would need to have a contagious illness, or the food would then be stored incorrectly allowing bacterial growth.

I think a lot of it is 'social' revulsion and perceived risk. For example, if I see a stray hair somewhere, I find it a lot more off-putting if it is a different colour to my own. But if I was sexually attracted to or loved a person with that hair colour, that would be different...

Interestingly, I did once contract a contagious illness and had a pretty clear idea of when I caught it - as I had diagnostic blood tests at certain points in time and knew exactly when I had been in close contact with other people who had the illness - on the most likely day I had received an un-shielded splutter cough to my face from the person in question. So it had to be quite 'full on' contact for the illness to be passed on...

I once saw an aunt have a good dig in her ear then carry on cooking

I agree with op.... I would not have eaten it either!
I worked with a volunteer in a community kitchen who double dipped ALOT!! Disgusting! When it was pointed out to her nicely she decided to jack it in!

woodacorn yes lots of conditions excema included and more evidence all the time
Honestly this was meant to be a lighthearted ( not trivialising) comment but there is actual truth in the post which is why I object to being told I'm totally wrong.
some of the posters on here should just wrap themselves in cling film and wear a face mask. It is impossible to live a normal life and not ingest the odd pet hair, saliva or even worse. It won't by and large do you any permanent harm. Years back when I worked on the wards, in spite of the old " universal precautions" we used I got various di and vom or cold/flu bugs a few times. Guess what? Nowadays I can't remember the last time I Was ill. Getting a dose of the real thing is the best immunity you can build.