Germphobia is a class thing, isn't it?

[tenbob]

Full disclosure: I'm slightly fascinated by the posters here who won't wash their hands on a towel at someone else's house, buy cakes at a school fair or use a public toilet for fear of germs, and admit to being the sort of person who eats stuff past the sell-by date if it passes the sniff test

But I've just spent a couple of days working at a food fair type thing and noticed a definite class divide in germ tolerance

There was no end of stereotypical posh families who would share their ice cream with the Labrador, eat food that had fallen on the floor etc

And the mums (it was always the mums) who were obsessively wet wiping everything were non-posh

Can you prove or debunk my theory?
And if I'm right, why are the upper classes so relaxed about dirt?

Bit of muck won't harm you.

One of my colleagues loves to bake. Now she's Italian and the stuff she makes is all authentic stuff that you can't get in shops etc. Really delicious stuff.

This woman looks homeless. Unwashed hair, terrible clothes, she looks like she's just had a week cleaning the gutters.

Loads of people won't eat her cake because she has made it.

'Don't worry, it's clean dirt' according to my dad. He meant any earth or mud etc.

my DM (Italian living in the UK) is convinced the reason 'English children are always ill' her words! is because of carpets.

Yet apparently Italians are worried about "colpo d’aria", an entirely fictional malady.

Well I'm middle class and guess I cross both.

I think that there are different forms of germophobia though - inside the home and elsewhere.

My home is clean enough, but wouldn't pass muster with others. Houses are too clean these days and you need a few germs around, but they are our germs! I would with my family try food off someone else's fork etc with no qualms, but would always wash hands etc.

I hate having dirty hands (or when I think they do not feel clean) so use anti bac out and about.

However, I don't really want to shake hands/eat something offered by someone who looks like they have poor hygiene as I don't want their germs!

Its ironic that some posters have equated attentive observation of good hand hygiene principles etc with a lack of education, when in fact the converse is true. I suggest that these posters take some time to google scholarly articles on hand hygiene and communicable diseases.

My parents grew up dirt poor and our house was always spotless growing up. They also used to redecorate regularly.

I however have 3 degrees and am decidedly now MC. My mum will constantly bemoan how my house is a shit tip.

I live in quite a run down area tho and DC friends houses are run down because they're poor, not because they're posh.

hmcAsWas

Right away sir

I'm working class and only know working class families, my children are bathed every night, I can count on one hand how many nights have been missed.We all wear our clothes once and then put them in the washing basket.New clothes bought throughout the year for the different seasons.Sheets are changed once a week, house is scrubbed top to toe weekly, bathroom, kitchen cleaned twice a week.Nothing eaten past a sell by date, cakes from school fair binned.Weather permitting, grass mowed weekly. I don't know anyone who lives differently.

Maybe? A lot of it is also cultural, I believe.
My grandmother's family was a bit rich (particularly pre ww2) from Southern Italy (idk how to do 'social class' by English standards). But animals just didn't belong in the kitchen, sitting or dining room for that part of the family. They were meant to have a job/purpose. And that job was not 'human companion-animal'.

My father is Italian / German. That part of my family is obsessed with horses, used to breed dogs etc... My paternal grandfather's is probably 'posh by English stsndards' and his house has always been an absolute shittip (as far as I remember).

My grandma (his ex wife) came from a very poor, 1 parent family and is still rather house proud. She has these knick-knacks, collects old objects etc... But she's my favourite grandparent, tbh. Really strong, kind and non-judgemental woman. (Well, unless you're talking about bad manners and education. She was a teacher...)

Nothing eaten past a sell by date, cakes from school fair binned.Weather permitting, grass mowed weekly. I don't know anyone who lives differently.

If you're really saying that refusing to eat home made cake is the norm among all he parents you know (and this blows my mind, but fine) then why on earth is the school still holding a bake sale at the school fair?!

Cakes from school fair binned

Why? What a waste of food/money/somebody's effort. Can't you give them away if you don't want them?
Fair enough do loads of washing and keep your house clean but I don't get this one

I'm working class and live in a bit of a shit tip. And the dog sleeps on our bed and the licks the plates before they go in the dishwasher.

Does this mean I'm upwardly mobile?

my children are bathed every night, I can count on one hand how many nights have been missed.We all wear our clothes once and then put them in the washing basket.New clothes bought throughout the year for the different seasons.Sheets are changed once a week, house is scrubbed top to toe weekly, bathroom, kitchen cleaned twice a week.

I'm not trying to attack you or anything. But really? :0

Why would you wear your clothes only once? Do you do some kind of strenuous job where they're likely to get dirty?

And why would you buy new clothes so often? I mean, you must have so many clothes... (?)

Nothing eaten past a sell by date, cakes from school fair binned

I've always felt like those dates were mostly suggestions :0 and cheese often needs to ripen a little ;)
Also, I like cake. I welcome the opportunity to eat some. Especially homemade. (Well, by someone that isn't my mother...)

Weather permitting, grass mowed weekly.

I admire your dedication. ;) We don't have a lawn (because we're too lazy to mow it/make sure it stays watered, make sure there are sprinklers etc...)

Bath gets cleaned about once a week, btw.

our dishwasher gets the Labrador pre-wash on a daily basis. And I cba with housework, too boring. So I either get the DDs to do it for money or wait for my cleaner to hoover and clean bathrooms once a fortnight. I am probably posh (although poor - my mum pays for the cleaner, probs in despair) but I honestly just dont really care... clothes are clean but unironed, people ditto.

Yet apparently Italians are worried about "colpo d’aria", an entirely fictional malady.

Yes, the draft will literally kill you. (Southern Germans and Swiss people say the same, btw).

Also, don't go out with wet hair.

Don't use the AC (it's bad if it's much colder inside than outside).

And don't eat before going swimming. For preferably 3 hours... Or you'll get a cramp and die.

I'm not sure where I'd get the time to wash clothes after every wear and bath DD every night. She still a baby though so only gets one once a week unless she's very dirty. We just barely keep the basics done and when I go back after maternity we're getting a cleaner. @mumsofthemonstets you'd faint if you came here.

That post was riddled with typos!

Working class-obsessed with everything being spotless.
Middle class-a bit dirty if we're being honest.
Upper class-exoect everything to be clean and therefore never think to check let alone actually clean anything. They do have the good sense to be a bit put out if they happen to notice that things aren't quite as they should be though.

When I was a student (approx 2008, so not a million years ago) I rented a flat that had cream fitted carpets everywhere, including the bathroom ( flashes torch under chin ) and... the KITCHEN!

I love this! This made me laugh out loud 😂😂😂

I'm not sure where I'd get the time to wash clothes after every wear and bath DD every night. She still a baby though so only gets one once a week unless she's very dirty. We just barely keep the basics done

Washing clothes after wearing them and bathing your DC every day are the 'basics' imo!

Pebblespony - yes i think about that too! Would have loved to have seen it tbh. I used to stay at the house as a child but the horses were long gone by then :(

Apparently the horses bottoms would rub along the walls on the way down the hall they were that wide! Bless them. The 'passage', as my nan called it had to be clear of furniture or pictures on the walls so it was clear for the horses to get along it. IIRC there was a step up/down halfway along it as well!

And I cba with housework, too boring. So I either get the DDs to do it for money or wait for my cleaner to hoover and clean bathrooms once a fortnight

Definitely posh! Actually, I find this sort of attitude bordering on obnoxious. Oh and bathrooms cleaned once a fortnight is just grim!