To think that if people washed their hands properly norovirus/flu etc would be rare

[KingaRoo]

I am horrified by the amount of both adults and children I've seen recently who either "wash" their hands without soap or literally squirt on a bit of soap and then rinse it off? You need to have soap bubbles on your hands for at least 30 seconds and properly get into all the nooks and crevices for hand washing to be effective.

My DH is immune compromised and I am living in fear of him catching the various vomiting bugs/coughs and colds going around at the moment.

We had a small party at our house recently and due to DH's illness asked them to wash hands when they arrived. I would guess around 1 in 12 people actually washed their hands properly. And yes I was watching! Felt too shy to ask them to do it again properly although probably should have done...

School have so many illnesses going around at the moment. Why don't they teach the children how to wash their hands properly? It would be in their own interests. So many teachers and pupils are off at the moment.

Would also save the NHS some money!!

@Vulpine I guess you and I fulfil the ‘grim’ quota on this thread because I hadn’t either!

I didn't vote for either. Yanbu in terms of hand washing but you can't eradicate the airborne aspect entirely.

I think there's a compromise to be reached. As Vulpine suggested, obsessive hand washing is no good thing (we agreed on something, I'll note it in my diary ;) ). However, whenever I goto the gents in a pub/restaurant, I find it disgusting how many men don't wash there hands (at all!)...even if they've been in the cubicles!

I always make sure to then cover my (washed) hands with my sleeves or something when using the door handle on the way out!

I'm sure women are better at this!

Personally I think our immunity is compromised because of over-zealous hygiene practices these days.

I’m a bit OTT when someone gets ill at home. DD had norovirus a week ago (was doing the rounds at school). Frequent hand washing, cleaning of surfaces. Daily pj and bedding changes. Separate towel for DD. All items washed daily on hot wash with bio washing powder (I’m usually non bio cool wash type of person). DD also instructed to close toilet lid before flushing to contain germs. I disinfected toilet handle, seats etc multiple times a day.
We got through without DH or I catching it. I think I was extra paranoid about catching it as my boss is immune compromised at the moment as going through chemo and I didn’t want to pass anything on to him.

I find an OTT approach is best when dealing with things like this. For example she caught nits a couple of times and we cleared them first time with a full on approach that included daily bedding changes, vacuuming mattress and sofas, under beds etc.
all soft toys bagged and put in isolation for 2 weeks. Washing brushes and combs in nit shampoo etc. That was on top of the standard combing and not treatment.

Oh the back to school vomiting rule has changed in our area - happed a couple of years ago. They now say send back after 24 hours. It’s still 48 hours for diarrhoea.

I agree with you, OP, but sometimes people have no choice. I used to be an avid hand washer, proper washing with hot water, soap and bubbles. I washed hands after coming home from somewhere, after toilet breaks, etc. Also I used to still smoke back then and washed hands after every cigarette (when at home). A bit OCD, maybe.

Until a year ago, out of nowhere I've developed a bleeding sore eczema. On my palms, out of all possible places (nowhere else so far, just palms). So now I'm forced to wash my hands as little as REASONABLY possible. And cannot use hand sanitizers at all. It's either this, or living with bleeding, horribly itchy and achy hands. Don't seem to be any sicker than a year ago, though, apart from a single one cold this autumn.

Try bar soap instead of liquid @ShadowOnTheSun

Makes the world of difference to my hand eczema.

YANBU, I work in a hospital as a nurse and my dream job would be to stand guard on the entrance to make sure people actually used the hand sanitizer when they walked in. I'd say about 1 in 10 actually do.

YANBU people are grubby. Hardly anyone washes their hands after going to the loo and so many peopke ‘catch’ their sneezes in their hands or dont cover their mouths/noses when they cough or sneeze. It’s horrible.

I carry an anti bacterial gel with me and so far havent caught anything this year.

A saying in our house that we got from the kids TV programme Topsy &Tim a few years ago when DS was younger is ‘double wash your hands’ (said in the same song-song manor as Joy)

20% of our school was off last week with a noro type bug 🤢

They have been very strict on hygiene at school this past week.

I do agree that hand washing is good at stopping certain things however I also think that with airborne infections you stand little chance.

Just going to repeat NHS advice:

"Norovirus can spread very easily.

You can catch norovirus from:

close contact with someone with norovirus

touching surfaces or objects that have the virus on them, then touching your mouth

eating food that's been prepared or handled by someone with norovirus

Washing your hands frequently with soap and water is the best way to stop it spreading. Alcohol hand gels do not kill norovirus.

@ShadowOnTheSun that sounds like pompolyx eczema if it on palms of hands and itchy. Do you get little blisters too?

All items washed daily on hot wash with bio washing powder

This isn't the best way to use bio powder, the enzymes will change shape a little above 40 degrees C, the shape is what allows them to work on biological matter so they only work up to 40 deg C.

All items washed daily on hot wash with bio washing powder

This isn't the best way to use bio powder, the enzymes will change shape a little above 40 degrees C, the shape is what allows them to work on biological matter so they only work up to 40 deg C.

it's fine to use bio at high temp. mist washing machines are cold fill. so the bio-enzymes have time to work before the water gets too hot. after that the 'soap' part of the detergent takes over.

I am particular with hand washing, I don’t rub my face when out and was wearing gloves as it was cold

I travelled to a friends Around Halloween. I usually drive but decided to take the train. I got home on the Sunday night and literally collapsed in bed. I had caught proper flu, I didn’t wash for four or five days, couldn’t even watch tv as everything hurt so much and had to crawl on my hands and knees to get to the loo. Could only eat soup after a couple of days of no food. Being in a contained airless space got me I’m only just feeling totally back to normal.

I'm freaking out today. My friend took her child to her sisters Friday. Her sister has been suffering from a stomach bug for five days. She texts me last night. Her daughter is now throwing up and has the squits. Great. If her child caught it five days after her auntie started with it, theres a high chance she will spread it to my child when she goes back to school later on this week. I presume she will go back Wednesday. I know it's a part of life but with Christmas next week I'm so annoyed. My friend gambled with it and now the other kids getting it for Christmas is in her hands. I really hope she keeps her off all week to prevent the spread. My child is her best friend and they are inseparable at school. I will be anxious for the rest of the week now 😔

@Londongirl86 if the sister was still suffering with it ie. still contagious then it took 48 hrs to show up in the child. It doesn't matter that it started 5 days ago, it's the end of symptoms that you have to count from.

It's 48 hrs from the end of symptoms before you can go back in public.

My DC had a «how to wash our hands» session at school in YR.

@KingaRoo very true. So yes she caught in within 48 hours of the auntie finishing with it. Anyway she's sending her back tomorrow she's given the school the watered down version about overeating and they said she can go back!

Ah that's so frustrating and also very selfish. I hate it when parents downplay it and say oh they were only sick once, it was because they ate too much/had a cough. Dishonest and selfish.

Worst sickness bug we ever had was when friends came to visit. At some point during the visit they mentioned their 2 year old had been sick the day before "but only once". Our entire family came down with really really bad D +V. I could barely eat for 2 weeks it was so bad. Oh the laundry...

Like I always say on these threads.. it's all good washing your hands but so many people wash their hands then use them to turn off the tap which is full of people's germs.

I use my elbow where possible or toilet paper. If you are touching a dirty tap after hand washing then your hands probably aren't that clean at all.

I do wash my hands as soon as I come home from shopping or going to the ATM because they feel dirty.

I worked on noro wards and have cleaned up patient's D&V and thankfully never caught it. It had nothing to do with my hand hygiene and plenty of nurses went down with it, despite having impeccable hand hygiene.

YANBU to think people should wash their hands properly but YABU if you think this is the only way it spreads. We had norovirus spread through our family not so long ago. It was awful. I cannot see how I could have done anything different to stop it spreading though.

We washed hands thoroughly and used Milton hand gel afterwards (anti bac/viral/ fungi), supervised the children’s hand washing, bleached toilet each time someone was ill & wiped all light switches and door handles with detol. If it’s airborne it’s almost impossible to stop.

I would suggest you take good care of yourselves and avoid putting either of you in a position whether you are vulnerable. X

@U2HasTheEdge When your hands are all soapy wash the tap with the soap at the same time. I usually do a double wash in public toilets that don’t have an automatic tap. I soap up, wash hands and give the tap a good rub with the warm soapy hands. Rinse hands and kind of cup the water in my palms to rinse soap off tap. Then soap up again and rewash hands. Tap is then all nice and clean so you can turn it off without getting germs on hands or soaking your sleeves trying not to touch it. All thats left then is to negotiate opening the door without touching the door handle.

I think yanbu but I am diagnosed ocd!

Turns my stomach, worst was a McDonald's cook taking a LONG time in loo, not washing hands at all and went straight back to work!!

Housebound by it at the moment but when I am out and about yes regularly see people:

Only using cold water
Not using soap
Drying their hands on loo paper (even though there's hygienic drying stuff available)
Drying their hands on their sleeves/coat/child!

And of course - not washing hands at all! Again even after they've...been a while!

Currently rewatching ER on all4 and there's an episode where er patients are getting I think something like staph? Jeanie and the guy in charge of infection control do a load of cross referencing hcps but find no links - turns out it's Jerry the clerk who handled the charts who is the culprit and Jeanie and the infection control person teach him to wash his hands properly and the conversation at one point goes:

Jerry Markovicc* : This is ridiculous. I do not need hand-washing lessons!
Dr. Greg Fischerr* : Scrub hard, Jerry to scrape off the bacteria.
Jeanie Boulett* : But the most important thing is to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom.
Jerry Markovicc* : What, every time?

At which point Jeanie and Greg exchange barely stifled horrified faces

But yes - there's also been numerous threads on here (which i generally try and avoid) where many mners admit they don't wash their hands regularly, a frightening number admit they only wash hands after loo if they poohed!

- seriously not envy! Bleurgh!

I'm with you op, hand washing is basic, doesn't take long and benefits everyone.