To think that, unless you know the kitchen they were made in is very clean, homemade edible gifts go straight in the bin

[Bearbehind]

Especially this year

Given we’re sanitising things we touch and are ultra conscious about the spread of germs etc - AIBU to think that if you get edible gifts from someone’s who’s kitchen you either don’t know or don’t think is very clean - you’d just bin it?

I’m not saying you can catch Covid from the food but it’s the principle of not knowing how hygenic stuff is

I’m not a fan of homemade gifts at the best of times - I think a sort of rule should be that unless your homemade items are good enough to sell for actual money, then please don’t do it

No one is going to admit they binned it but I do hope those who would make homemade edible gifts, especially for teachers, this year think twice

@outofthemoon

I love home made gifts and have been busy making.

Those are just gorgeous. I wish I was clever enough to make those.

And this is how we are wrecking the planet: by imagining that wearing the same pair of jeans twice without washing them is going to cause us harm.

And putting antibacterials in our wash, on our carpet, sanitising everything, disposable everything, wipes, fast fashion.

I like homemade gifts and I'll eat them even if I've never met the person who made them (eg, DHs colleagues)

We are rarely ill.

If the general population is so filthy that you wouldn’t eat their homemade jam, who do you think is working in all the factories making the stuff in the shops?

But this year for me which I haven't seen anyone mention is Xmas cards and everyone licks the envelope. I did it myself the other other day and realised that my saliva is on all the Xmas cards

Good fucking Lord.

Why not seal yourself in a plastic bubble fed introveniously by sterile gloop for the rest of your life.

I swear if you are worried about that shit you really need to get a sense of perspective of the world. I'd say get out more, but the current situation is part of the problem.

The virus is airborne. Particles can pass through most face coverings. There is no recorded incidents of contact infection especially with good hand washing the risk is far lower than going to the supermarket.

Im certainly no covid is no worse than flu type, but worrying about Christmas cards? Are you one of thos nut jobs washing the shopping when you get it? Do you leave the post by the door for three days? Do you think about where the person at Amazon has had their hands? Or how posties up and down the country are clearly going to die in their thousands this Christmas?

Sometimes I despair.

There is a level at which paranoia takes over and becomes unhealthy. Worrying about why no one has been discussing how Christmas cards will be sealed has firmly crossed this line.

@Bearbehind

Just want to check - when I refuse a wrapped, home made gift this Christmas should I state my reasons or just say ‘No’ because that’s a complete sentence?

😂😂😂

It seems that, in this scenario, that old MN adage doesn’t apply!

As it turns out, if you say to someone you don’t want any gifts, that is translated by the giver to mean ‘no gifts obviously doesn’t apply to my delicious x’

And the only actual way to prevent receiving such gifts is to tell the giver, before you even know they’re planning on giving you anything (as you’ve already asked them not to give you anything so assume they understood that already), that they shouldn’t give you anything homemade as you will be binning it, as that is the only possible way for them to accept that by ‘no gifts’ you actual mean you don’t want anything!

Gotta love how contrary MN can be!

Surely you can tell them when they hand over the gift? If you don't want anything then don't accept anything.

@TerribleLizard

If the general population is so filthy that you wouldn’t eat their homemade jam, who do you think is working in all the factories making the stuff in the shops?

But commercial kitchens are these mythical places which are sterile environments.

@RaspberryCoulis

And this is how we are wrecking the planet: by imagining that wearing the same pair of jeans twice without washing them is going to cause us harm.

And putting antibacterials in our wash, on our carpet, sanitising everything, disposable everything, wipes, fast fashion.

Allergies are associated with using anti bacterials too much.

By santising absolutely everything you could be making your health worse not better. Our systems actually NEED some degree of dirt to function effectively. We don't want too much of the wrong thing but a certain amount is perfectly healthy.

We have this idea that cleanliness is next to godliness, but the science is starting to say that might not be altogether true.

I only bin homemade gifts from a certain couple of families.

(1 who lets their son be naked all day, seen him with his fingers in his bum and also seen how helpfully he bakes with the same hands.

And another whose two toddlers help and lots of fingers in and out licking all the mixture.)

Anyone else I'll accept unless I know they've been unwell recently.

What??!!! No way! Unless maybe it involves chicken or pork and was made by a child or a very inept cook I wouldn’t even consider this! I’ve only ever had food poisoning twice in my life and never in the UK! This is so paranoid!

Has anyone been signed off for having HG? I really don't know how I can work and feel like this anymore. Just don't want the dr to make me feel even worse for asking

But in most houses you are better off eating from the loo seat (usually spotless) than from the kitchen counter

wow
It could be funny, but it's actually depressing

When you see how some of us have been badly affected by the lockdown, I do feel sorry for people with so many issues and unable to enjoy a normal life. Never accepting an invitation, never having friends around, never going away with friends for weekends or holidays.

It's not a life, it's being on house arrest.

At least you are consistent, I can't stop laughing at posters who think diner made by friends are fine, but home-made gifts are poisonous or that professional kitchen, supermarkets are magically sterile. How do you even manage to eat any fruit or veg that hasn't been boiled previously! And don't get me started on eggs.. these shells are porous you realise that?

If it came from my MIL, I'd throw the hell out of it, but that's because I know how her kitchen is. If I know the person to be clean I don't have any problem.

I like food gifts. I don't give a toss where things are made, to be honest

Do you have some kind of OCD issue OP?

Bearbehind
I would never accept a present knowing I was going to bin it. Rude.

So when the dirtiest snottiest child in my class comes in beaming with pride and offering me home made cake I’m supposed to say no thanks. You’re obviously not a teacher. Well I hope not.

I think maybe you need to deal with your obsessive issues around hygiene as it is not normal.

Unless you think the person has put raw meat near your gift, or spat in it. Do you really think your friends and family do things like that?

Do you not eat at other people's houses in normal times?

Ah the annual joyless Mumsnet homemade christmas gift thread! Stop it op, your making me feel all christmassy!

Surely you can tell them when they hand over the gift? If you don't want anything then don't accept anything.

FGS lookfortheheros, which part of ‘please don’t get me a gift’ would then lead you to giving that person a homemade gift

I'm with you OP. I once worked with a woman who considered herself the Official Office Baker. She brought huge cakes in every single Friday for everyone to share. She was lovely, but once I'd seen her walk straight out of a toilet cubicle and back to her desk without washing her hands I vowed never to eat anything of hers or anyone elses again. Vom.

It depends.

Friends/family I would presumably know well enough to trust their hygiene and eat the things.

If I was a teacher however, there's no way I would ever eat homemade gifts. Especially if I suspected the kid had actually made it themselves. Sorry if that makes me grumpy/ungrateful but kids are mucky little so and so's!

Just reading this tread is making me feel sick. I agree with OP. Straight in the bin.

I think maybe you need to deal with your obsessive issues around hygiene as it is not normal.

@Movinghouseatlast you are the mistress of understatement. A less charitable person (like me) would just have said they're all fucking bonkers.

"Do you not eat at other people's houses in normal times?"

Erm.. nope. There are some friends/ relatives homes I would not eat in. And I'd even be uncomfortable with a cup of tea but judge it by the state of the place on the day sorry, I realise that makes me sound totally nuts!
Boxing day meal at a cousin's a few years ago was horrible. They had recently had a rat / rats which had just been killed on xmas eve and were waiting to discover if it was 1 or more. Not a crumb did I eat. And I kept my shoes on.