Are we all living this way or have I gone mad?!

[stardrops007]

Okay, so I'm not sure if I've just lost touch with normality here or if actually I'm living the "new normal"

Today was the first time in months that I met indoors with a friend (I know )

It was in the centre so I had to pay for parking, I found myself using a wipe to touch the parking meter.
Before entering the restaurant I sanitised my hands, once in the restaurant I sanitised my hands as I'd touched the chair before sitting down and became aware of possible contamination!

We then ordered a drink and I found myself sanitising again as I'd touched the glass.

We were there for two hours and I just couldn't stop sanitising.

I've come home and taken off all my clothes to wash them straight away.

My friend only sanitised before eating, but I noticed she'd touched the chair and other surfaces a lot!!!

Am I being OTT? Or is my friend quite relaxed?

I’m sanitising my hands a lot if I go out but I wouldn’t have washed my clothes as soon as I got in.

Today I've been for breakfast, been to the loo at the cafe, litter picked on the beach, sunbathed in the garden.

I've washed my hands after using the loo.

As long as you don’t touch your face you don’t need to sanitise so much. Before eating yes and after touching the parking meter. I sanitise my hand when I get to wherever I am going, before eating, once I get back in my car and then thorough hand wash once home.

@Thanksitsgotpockets

Today I've been for breakfast, been to the loo at the cafe, litter picked on the beach, sunbathed in the garden.

I've washed my hands after using the loo.

No sanitiser?

Whats the point in sanitising after touching the glass if you are then going to put your lips on it? Did you sanatize the knife and fork you ate with? The plate?

Sounds like what my (diagnosed) OCD would have me do if I let it take over.
I'd say you're being too cautious.

@Falcone

Whats the point in sanitising after touching the glass if you are then going to put your lips on it? Did you sanatize the knife and fork you ate with? The plate?

I took my own knife and fork!

I would have sanitised my hands before going in to eat but that’s about it.

@stardrops007

No sanitizer. Horrid stuff.

You are definitely being OTT.

@Thesearmsofmine

I would have sanitised my hands before going in to eat but that’s about it.

Same here.

We take 'sensible' precautions - carry gloves for things like petrol pumps etc and I would have definitely sanitised after parking meter but am trying not to overthink - there lies madness!

I think you are being over cautious.
(Though that said I haven't been into a restaurant yet.)

I took my own knife and fork!

This is OTT

I think that is way ott. Ridiculous.

@Thesearmsofmine

I would have sanitised my hands before going in to eat but that’s about it.

Okay, but what about the chair you touch, or the table? Or the menu?

This is verging on OCD territory.

Soap and water is more effective than sanitiser BTW.

Okay, but what about the chair you touch, or the table? Or the menu?

No, no and no.

You are being way OTT - I mean you can’t possibly keep this up. It’s insane. Sorry OP.

You've gone mad. I would have washed before eating, but that's because I'd have gone to the toilet before eating (habit).

Honestly it sounds like yo may be suffering OCD, taking your own cutlery is very concerning. How would you feel if you'd ran out of sanitiser and couldn't use it after touching the parking meter?

I would have sanitised my hands on the way into and out of the restaurant, and if I'd been to the loo of course I'd have washed them then.

Same as I do when I'm in the office every day. Sanitise by the entrance door, sanitise by the kitchen door. Wash hands after the loo.

Sorry but I tbink you are being a bit OTT with the taking your own cutlery and also sanitising after touching the chair and glass (which presumably you then drank out of?)
Hand washing is the best really. In your situation I would have probably driven there, used the pay machine, gone in to the restaurant and maybe used the loo before eating so will have washed hands with soap. All this sanitising isn't great long term, my eczema is terrible at the moment. I use it when I need to but I can't get too het up on it all.

This reminds me of when I first gave DS solid food and I sterilized his plates and cutlery and every time he dropped his spoon I ran it through the sterilizer. As you can imagine that PFB behaviour didn't last long. Are you worried about Covid particularly or germs in general. Could this be the start of OCD?

This is the behaviour I engage in, but that is OCD, so no it isnt normal.
Your friends behaviour sounds more like what I see people doing.
I do want to tell you to moisturise your hands or they'll dry and crack though!

@Falcone

Whats the point in sanitising after touching the glass if you are then going to put your lips on it? Did you sanatize the knife and fork you ate with? The plate?

This. What you are doing sounds OTT to me, particularly given you brought your own cultery! You can't sanitise the plate, the glassware, or the utensils they use to plate up your food in the kitchen, so bringing your own cutlery to eat it with is odd.

I'm using sanitiser occasionally and washing hands thoroughly at other times, but otherwise I'm living fairly normally (I don't socialise a lot indoors usually anyway, but have been into pubs for meals etc.). I'm certainly not carrying my own cutlery around.