to wish there were more handwashing/ sanitising facilities in public places

[Twitney]

I've thought this for a long time, but more than ever with the coronavirus situation, why can't there be more hand washing facilities at stations etc? Rather than making people go into the toilets, touching door handles etc on the way for one thing, couldn't there be sinks or at least gel dispensers freely available in places with heavy traffic?

Surely if everyone was encouraged to practice good hand hygiene and we provided very clear ways for people to do so when out and about, it would only be a good thing? And whilst sinks etc might be tricky, surely hand gel dispensers are achievable and would be a great visual cue for people to take responsibility for keeping themselves and others healthy?

We could at least try?

Who'd pay ?

Who'd pay ?

Well restaurants, cafes, bars etc could pay for their own, and as a pp has said, at the very least make sure their facilities are actually suitable for cleaning hands. In terms of stations and airports etc I'd think if this current situation gets any worse it'd be worth the government paying to ramp up hand washing facilities in places where so many people from all over the world pass through.

@cologne4711 gel aline doesn’t work particularly well. cold water is a lot more effective as it washes stuff away (gel just redistributes it). i agree, hot water snd soap is best, but if there is any clean water, use it!

Well restaurants, cafes, bars etc could pay for their own

Most of these places struggle to pay their own staff ...

and as a pp has said, at the very least make sure their facilities are actually suitable for cleaning hands.

fair point. But isn't that supposed to be how things are now ?

In terms of stations and airports etc I'd think if this current situation gets any worse it'd be worth the government paying

Ah, you mean you and I

to ramp up hand washing facilities in places where so many people from all over the world pass through.

Don't most UK airports make a pretty hefty profit ?

Sorry, it's not a fully costed plan, just something I wish would become normal

I agree with you OP. I also wish public toilets didn't have a door you have to touch to get out AFTER you have washed your hands..

There are hand gel dispensers at my local hospital, at every entrance and then along the hallways. I always use them on entry and exit. I never see anyone else use them.

ofwarren This annoys me too. Without exception,the outside entrance doors to public toilets are 'push' to go in,and 'pull' to go out. Doesn't make sense to me,having to touch the door handle after washing your hands. Especially as a sizeable proportion of people using the toilet won't have washed their hands after using the toilet,and then put their dirty mitts on the door handle.

Literally 10 minutes after I posted on this thread I went in they gym, went to the loo and stood diligently washing my hands afterwards, woman comes out behind me, splashes them under the cold tap and goes to the hand dryer, (and yes there is always plenty of soap and hot water)?then I see her on the cross trainer in front of me 🤮. Why are people so grim!!

I knows of agree on more education, but really don’t we all know.

Colleague was in Superdrug last night though and they were all sold out of hand sanitiser apparently!

Agree @ALongHardWinter

Has anyone seen the Alan Patridge sketch about how to use a public loo without touching anything. I must find it and share it on here!

Gosh sorry about the typos, bloody predictive txt!

I'm not sure why most adults don't wash their hands before eating in a restaurant considering primary school children are made to do this.

I’m in Malaysia at the moment and have noticed that many of the restaurants have a sink in the corner somewhere. also in Libya (or was 15 years ago) often placed at the entrance to a restaurant although usually with a grubby cloth towel so not perfect.

I agree, I hate it when you go into a fast food place where you eat mostly with your hands and you have to make a purchase first to get the code for the toilets to wash your hands before you eat. How are you meant to do that without actually bringing your tray of food into the toilet?!

(for what it is worth I want to wash my hands even if I am using a knife and fork but it's all the more important when eating with hands)

"although usually with a grubby cloth towel so not perfect"

I'm not sure any way of drying freshly washed hands in public is good, either environmentally for paper towels or for keeping clean with dryers or a towel. I tend to just use my trousers or just let them dry over time, not perfect but better than the other options.

Who would fund these? In my local A&E they are chained up as alcoholics kept nicking them!

I was going to say this.

Well restaurants, cafes, bars etc can pay for their own am I missing something, because all of those places already provide handwashing facilities in their bathrooms?

Tbh i think it's especially grim when kids dont wash hands before esting at soft play.
All the kids sneezing on equipment or having d&v

Thing is rules used to be things like no eating when walking around. Wash hands when you get in and before food. Before cooking.
I doubt most kids wash them before school lunch.
With the constant snacks kids have and biscuits at toddler groups etc.

I think people think oh i didnt poop in the public loo so they dont wash hands but wont know someone has been V in there for hours.
In a restaurant i did tell them about the empty soap dispenser- lazy server hadnt sorted it an hour later.

Re the norovirus hospital surely they shouldnt have been having visitors
And i wouldnt want to go in theor loos! It's airbourne.

Emma Bridgewater20 Oh yes,I think I've seen that! I also liked the advert that was on TV a few years ago,where people using toilets were trying not to touch anything after washing their hands. I think it was for some sort of liquid soap,not 100% sure though. It had people trying to switch lights on using their nose,and trying to open doors with their elbows. So funny.

YANBU. We were on a cruise ship last summer and they had hand gel dispensers literally everywhere. Best thing was that people were actually using them because they were in your face and there was an element of "peer pressure" as you felt you had to use them because it seemed everyone else was using them. There were several at the entrances to each restaurant and they were all around the pool/deck areas, as well as a couple at each bar.

Just wear gloves, like the Queen. 👋

am I missing something, because all of those places already provide handwashing facilities in their bathrooms?

And make the classic mistake of inward opening doors where you have to pull door handles to get out, completely ruining the effect of washing your hands. The doors should be push to exit and pull to enter so people can leave without touching door handles etc.

I wear gloves a lot. I think take away places should offer hand washing options. There’s a sushi place in the station that does this so if I’m getting take away I do it there now.