AIBU to ask about your hand washing habits

[Cheesycrumpets]

I know this is going to make some people furious, but does everyone, honestly always wash their hands after going to the loo? I definitely don't after a wee, and (to my shame) even loiter a couple of seconds extra in other people's bathrooms so they'll think I have. The exception is I ALWAYS wash my hands in public toilets - because of the public shame!

Tell me I'm not alone

Arty I've always weeed / wee'd / weed ( how do you spell it??!) a lot. I think it's more psychological than physical as I can hold on for a long time if I'm out. When I'm at home, I only have to walk past the toilet and I think I need a wee. Little and often. I have weak pelvic floor muscles too following 4 x natural childbirth so I tend not to let my bladder get too full, and I always go before doing any exercise to avoid leakage

Foniks - you're not making the point you think you are. Yep, dogs and cats clean themselves...I clean myself with toilet paper! Dogs and cats do not then have a nice antibacterial wash to clean the bit they used to clean!

I'm not disagreeing with your other points but come on!

I refuse to touch door handles.. I either pull my sleeves over my hands or use fresh loo roll.

I wash my hands every time I go to the loo. Everyone should. I don't get why anyone wouldn't.

Washing your hands is hardly an onerous task.

Unless you're my 13yo.

I get the split skin on my hands. using proper soap, rather than handwashes minimises that. I do wish John Lewis would change their handwash because that's the worst out of all the public loos I use - that makes my hands sore in summer!

I work in a supermarket where they have a few food counters. More than a few times ive been in the loo and someone else will be in too, having a loud shite. When ive been washing my hands at the sink, the person emerges from the bog and does not wash their hands, just walk straight out back to the food counter. It really does disgust me, and for that reason ive never once purchased anything from them counters.

Norovirus is spread by people not bothering to wash their hands after going to the toilet, it's airborne and highly contagious. Even if you haven't taken a shit, when you flush, faeces particles are forcefully sent into the air.
There was a thread on her once where loads of parents said they didn't wash their hands after cleaning up their kids shitty nappies, it was mingin.

Always, it's really quite disgusting not to! You may not get tummy bugs but others will. Eugh!!

Always after the loo.

Why pretend? Wash you dirty bitch

Mycar "germs" are pretty much as diverse as "mammals". Some bacteria are pretty harmless - our bodies like lots of them. Some make us a bit ill. Others do nasty things with our immune systems, like knacker our respiratory systems or release toxins that slough off our skin cells AND knacker our respiratory systems. Or empty our guts.

This is vile.

I am fastidious about hand washing, as is my DH.

Why, as a fully grown adult, would you think it is acceptable not to wash your hands?

It's just disgusting. As simple as that.

We have drummed it into our DC the importance of hand washing and I remind my DS every day when I drop him to School to wash them.

Jeez, no wonder bugs and viruses spread like wildfire.

I am also astounded by the posters who say that they wash hands outside the home but not inside.

How skanky. I presume if you don't even wash your own hands at home then you clearly don't wash them before preparing food, both for yourself and the rest of the family.

Yuk.

Perhaps you should try out the 3 slices of bread test op?

Then perhaps you'll realise how dirty not washing your hands really is.

How lazy and dirty though to pretend to wash your hands

Just wash them. It isn't hard.

Cheesy- I just mean they have it in them. They can't anti back, but they've got a natural feeling to clean up after themselves... even though they might be dirty and just crap and wee anywhere, they just naturally clean themselves too.

Loads of people end up really ill in hospital catching viruses that could have been prevented by more people just taking 30 seconds to wash their hands. It's like vaccines, if you get one you might not make others sick. If you wash your hands you might not make others sick.
Honestly, if you're not even saving time, why not just wash your hands? It should really be at least 30 seconds and soap, but if you can't be bothered, even a quick wash will help a little at least.

Caggie I've seen others say that too! So nasty. I've also heard similar from people who work in the places where they package up ready made pasta salads, sandwiches etc.
It's so selfish! Why take the job if they know they can't be bothered? And imagine the stink they'd kick up if they saw a friend leave the toilet without washing hands and then preparing food for them. But because it's strangers, and because they won't always see the consequences when somebody is sick because of them, it doesn't matter to them.

OP you're disgusting and don't pretend you don't know it. You're just looking for the support of other disgusting people to make you feel better.

So you're not bothered about poo droplets? Well look at it this way. The droplets end up on your hands and then you'll rub your face or eat your lunch. Basically, you're ingesting poo. Imagine licking someone else's shit. Still not bothered?

Wowsers. I'm not a major hand washer by any stretch, but I was before making food for other people that won't be cooked, after touching raw meat, after going to the loo and if they are physically grim (e.g DIY).

I understand it if you have split skin etc. This makes sense as open wounds are better off healed. I'm not a germ stressing person. But minimising the transfer of fecal material to our mouths is generally sensible.

Mostly we won't get ill. But the whole "we've lived x many years as the human race without washing our hands" is a bit of a non statement. You only have to live to sire one child for this to remain true. You can die of a hideous infection at childbirth or 9 of your 10 children can die. You've still passed on your genes for the continuation of the human race.

Loads of adults died of hideous bacterial and viral illness until comparatively recently when public health (sewers, encouraging hand washing, sterilisation etc) became a "thing".

Selfish behaviour to not give a toss about people with compromised immune systems.

Not one of you filthbags with an aversion to hygiene have even bothered to address my previous post, pointing out that if I get a stomach bug it is dangerous and can land me in hospital.

You can't say anything to that because you know it's selfish. You just don't give a fuck.

Honestly, no wonder hospitals fight such a losing battle with trying to stop bugs running riot through a ward. Half the visitors probably aren't fucking washing their hands and then having contact with their poor unfortunate sick or elderly relatives.

I've spent hours and hours loitering by the sinks in public toilets due to a health issue that sometimes flares up and makes me very queasy. I'd say at least a third of women don't wash their hands at all after exiting a cubicle, and probably only 10% of women use anything like proper hand washing technique.

It's disgusting. Even if they didn't do anything involving body fluids in the cubicle, there's still poo on the lock and door from people who have!

Since witnessing how filthy so many people are, I always use my foot or wrap clothing around my hand before touching the door to get out of public toilets. I pretty much don't touch handles, hand rails etc in public buildings with bare hands if I can help it.

On a related note, does anyone else keep their toothbrush outside the bathroom? I don't trust guests to close the lid when flushing and it's never seemed spectacularly hygienic to me to keep them next to the toilet anyway. Mine lives in the kitchen now.

I think I'd feel if I saw someone's toothbrushes in the kitchen. I have worked very hard to reduce this, but I still find toothpaste/brushes very disgusting to think about or deal with.

I keep my toothbrush in my bedroom, I'm not having shit particles land on it!

Any germs that come out of me are already in me so I don't accept any points about how manky some of you think my vulva is. That's all very well OP, you may be happy to eat your own germs, but we're not, and that is what you are effectively forcing other people to do gross person

Bacon - the only way you can avoid other people's germs is to live in some kind of isolation unit . I think you all need to get off your high horses! The op has a great immune system for a reason - because she's not obsessed with germs.

It doesn't work like that either that if a germ is in you you are fine.
The Bacteria from your faeces if it gets into other bits of you e.g. Your eyes can cause real problems.
Immune systems are strengthened by having other people's faecal matter on each other it just spreads disease.
Wash your hands.

A friend of ours read a study that said our hands typically have more germs on them than our anus or genitals therefore "I'm going to start washing my knob after a wee instead"

My favourite post was the one about the woman who thinks about men holding their penises when she shakes their hands! I'm gonna be doing that now 😁