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Original poster

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

347 replies

stardrops007 · 17/09/2020 14:51

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 Confused)

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?

OP posts:
ReceptacleForTheRespectable · 17/09/2020 15:13

Did your friend say anything OP?

I think I would have gently tried to raise concerns if I was sat opposite a good friend and they were sanitising their hands every time they touched their glass to drink....

I'd advise you try to have a chat with your GP about your anxiety, and get help in addressing it.

FreekStar · 17/09/2020 15:15

The biggest risk you took today was sitting opposite a friend!!!!

People have lost sight of the fact that Covid is a respiratory disease- it's main route of transmission is through the air and into the the lungs through the nose, mouth or eyes.

Washing your hands won't protect you- it can't enter the body through hands. Washing hands is just an extra precaution, not the main risk as it seems to have become in people's minds. The chances of you picking up enough virus on your hands and then transferring it into your respiratory system at a level high enough to cause disease is slim. But yet some people seem to have this idea that washing hands will save them from it!

userxx · 17/09/2020 15:15

Totally OTT. Its fine, just chill out and breathe.

LagunaBubbles · 17/09/2020 15:17

Way way OTT

Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/09/2020 15:17

I don't sanitize or wipe anything. I literally just do the same as I've always done - wash my hands before eating and after using the toilet. That's it. You are OTT.

FreekStar · 17/09/2020 15:18

As for washing clothes- how are you going to catch it from your own clothes?

vanillandhoney · 17/09/2020 15:19

I've just been acting normally, except for using a mask where necessary.

This week I've been out for afternoon tea (sat indoors), out for coffee (takeaway, sat outside as the weather was so nice), paid for petrol and popped to Tesco for some bits.

I wash my hands when I get home and after I've used the toilet but I did those things anyway. The only change to my normal routine is to wear a mask where required. I'd never even consider wiping down a menu or putting all my clothes in the wash when I got home.

I also go to work everyday (which involves going into people's homes) as does DH. It's fine. Neither of us has been unwell.

Waxonwaxoff0 · 17/09/2020 15:19

This constant use of sanitizer is going to ensure your immune system will be shot. We all need exposure to germs on some level to build our immune systems.

NoSquirrels · 17/09/2020 15:20

Are you high-risk, OP? Do you live in an especially high transmission area?

I haven't really been eating out (fish and chips by the seaside has been about it) but if I had agreed to going to a restaurant I would not have taken my own cutlery or sanitised every 30 seconds. So I think yes, you are being very over-cautious unless you have a good reason to be.

Parking meter & before entering restaurant = yes.
After touching the chair or glass or table = no.

Would probably go to the bathroom & then wash my hands before eating, however.

To a certain extent you need to trust the restaurant to have a thorough cleaning regime in between customers. It is in their interests to do so - they need to stay open, after all - so I wouldn't worry in that sort of scenario.

Belladonna12 · 17/09/2020 15:20

I think taking your own cutlery is sensible, particularly cup. There's no way I would drink out of a glass that's been handled by serving staff at the moment. I would also sanitise my hands after paying for parking. Apart from that I sanitise the hands before touching the cutlery and eating/drinking. I haven't eaten inside the restaurant or café yet. I don't suffer from OCD.

Nottherealslimshady · 17/09/2020 15:22

this would be an absolute nightmare for me to be honest

This is the concerning bit, and the bit that I think would get an OCD diagnosis. I have OCD but its different, I'm not a cleaner. It's the feeling of disaster if you cant follow your compulsive behaviour. The idea that I have to and if I dont then something terrible will happen.
I would suggest speaking to your doctor and they'll suggest some cbt you can follow, it's not a good cycle to get into and if you're not on top of it it will just continue to spiral and get worse.
It's not good for skin to santise that much, and it's not good for your mental health to have this need to do it this much.

petingo · 17/09/2020 15:22

I am 73 and self isolating.I do my own shopping,generally twice a week.I keep one set of clothes for shopping and have a shower afterwards.

Hardbackwriter · 17/09/2020 15:22

Surely you noticed that no one else in the restaurant brought their own cutlery or sanitised their hands every time they touched their glass, which gives a clue as to whether this is normal...?

Todaythiscouldbe · 17/09/2020 15:24

@Waxonwaxoff0

This constant use of sanitizer is going to ensure your immune system will be shot. We all need exposure to germs on some level to build our immune systems.
This is absolutely correct There's a reason everyone is coming down with colds/bugs at the moment, we have no immunity to anything.
Quaagars · 17/09/2020 15:24

I'd have sanitised on going into the restaurant, and also obviously if needed the loo.
You sound like you're sanitising and worrying at an obsessively unhealthy level.

katy1213 · 17/09/2020 15:26

Your hands will be raw. Wash your hands before eating and after you get home. That's plenty. No need to change your clothes/bleach groceries/let your whole day revolve around crazy hygiene standards.

Takemetothebar · 17/09/2020 15:26

I’d have cleaned my hands after touching the parking meter, or used something like a wipe to touch it.

I’d have used the sanitiser upon entering the restaurant as per the guidance. I’d have washed my hands if I went to the loo and probably have sanitised when I got to the car.

Then I’d wash my hands when I got home which is habit as we farm.

The rest is nuts, and I’d gently suggest you visit your GP for support.

StealthPolarBear · 17/09/2020 15:27

Did you sanitise the glass before your lips touched it?

YellowandGreenToBeSeen · 17/09/2020 15:28

If the restaurant insisted I use sanitiser on arrival, I would have done. Regardless, I would have washed my hands immediately and then again when I got home.

That's all. I do carry sanitiser with me but 9/10 don't use it (as I wash my hands when I can / need to).

MonsterKidz · 17/09/2020 15:30

I would have sanitized after using parking meter. I would sanitized after entering restaurant, as I’d assume the handle on door was a high frequently touched item. ie touched by many people.

I would have been happy to eat and drink out of the glass and used their cutlery. As i’d assume it was clean and that no one had touched the parts that would even touch my mouth and that the servers hands were clean or maybe even wearing gloves when they served.

So how much you sanitized would be too much for me but I think everyone should do what is comfortable for them to go about their business, so there is absolutely no judgement from me on this and unless it was bothering you how much you sanitized I think it was fine.

I personally however would not have been comfortable sitting for 2 hours in a restaurant indoors breathing the same air as everyone else sat down and not wearing masks the whole time. I’d be more comfortable outdoors. That’s my personal view and what I am comfortable with. I haven’t done any indoor dining. I do go into places to pick stuff up but not sit there.

We are all trying to find our new routines, it won’t last forever.

starfish4 · 17/09/2020 15:30

No matter what anyone else says on here, you have to do what you feel comfortable with. I've worked out I can move a chair with my feet, and yes we take wipes and our glass gets a wipe over. After I've washed hands in toilet, I use a sheet of paper on the door handle. I don't care what anyone else thinks, I don't mind doing it and it makes me feel more comfortable about enjoying the simple things.

Dozycuntlaters · 17/09/2020 15:31

You sound massively OTT to me BUT each to their own and if doing all that makes you feel safer then carry on as long as it doesn't end up over taking your life. Taking your own knife and fork does sound crazy though, so you need to stop doing stuff like that, plus you shouldn't really be wondering about with a knife lol.

I just wash my hands after I've been to the loo, which I've always done, I've never bought any hand sanitiser.

WaxOnFeckOff · 17/09/2020 15:31

No i don't live like that. I wash my hands as appropriate, rarely use sanitizer as it's not as good as soap and water but can be used when soap and water are difficult to access.

What you are doing is OTT in relation to the risk. I more or less follow the rules (don't necessarily agree with a lot of them) but it doesn't stop me doing what i want/need to do as I'm not interested in having a large indoor party etc.

However, I'm not supposed to mix with more than one household outdoors and I go for a walk with 2 friends. We are outdoors and there have been under 10 cases in 7 days from 90k people in our area so that rule is disproportionate and detrimental to health so fuck it.

And then there is this:

Belladonna12 · 17/09/2020 15:31

This is absolutely correct
There's a reason everyone is coming down with colds/bugs at the moment, we have no immunity to anything.

Rubbish. Most adults have been building up their immune systems for for years. Immunity doesn't disappear because they've had a few months off being infected with anything. I don't know anyone who's had a cold bug for months including DC.

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey · 17/09/2020 15:33

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.
I would have sanitised after picking litter up from the beach too.

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