To think hygiene standards are low in Britain?

[castemary]

This obviously does not apply to everyone. But in Britain, I think there is a general acceptance of fairly low hygiene standards. I see it in several areas.
With individuals you have people telling everyone they do not wash bras for months, do not clean their teeth every day, do not wash face masks every day.
In public areas, offices and shops the cleaning often consist of no more than a quick hoover occasionally, a mop and a bit of damp wiping. Apart from toilets, places are rarely properly cleaned.
I think most people simply do not realise how unhygienic Britain is until they go to countries that do have a good standard of hygiene. There seems to be a lot of emphasis in Britain on superficial things that make places look good such as scatter cushions or make-up, and not on basic hygiene and cleanliness.
AIBU?

More than half of the cells in anyone bodies are microbial cells.

Many of those do very important roles for us, including keeping the few nasty bacterias away from our body.
This antibacteria, crazy hygiene standards, will only lead to one thing, a lot of resistant bacteria that will cause us a lot of headache in the future.

I recently wrote this about how revolting people are. Pretty sure this behaviour isn’t limited to the UK.

www.rachelwoollett.co.uk/blog/spitting-feathers

@gadgeladyZO9

Just a couple of years ago, I watched a prog on TV showing a factory making sandwiches for supermarkets/shops, I have NEVER bought one since, they used their bare hands to push the salad down, you would have to have seen it all to believe it, WHERE was our hygienist then for such a big place.

Apparently it’s more hygienic to use bare hands. People wash their hands more frequently than they change gloves. It doesn’t bother me in the slightest.

I recently wrote this about how revolting people are. Pretty sure this behaviour isn’t limited to the UK.

www.rachelwoollett.co.uk/blog/spitting-feathers

I can't remember what hygiene levels were like before the pandemic here in Britain. But as someone who struggles with OCD at times I noticed that standards were raised during the pandemic for obvious reasons. I admit I still count to 20 in my head as I wash my hands.

I want to go to Disney World next year and I do hope they keep up with their increased cleaning regime. I also hope aeroplanes maintain a higher standard of hygiene moving forward so I don't catch a cold every time I fly.

But I agree with other people on this thread, it's no better in other countries.

I can't remember what hygiene levels were like before the pandemic here in Britain. But as someone who struggles with OCD at times I noticed that standards were raised during the pandemic for obvious reasons. I admit I still count to 20 in my head as I wash my hands.

I want to go to Disney World next year and I do hope they keep up with their increased cleaning regime. I also hope aeroplanes maintain a higher standard of hygiene moving forward so I don't catch a cold every time I fly.

But I agree with other people on this thread, it's no better in other countries.

Yuk!

I am happy to eat things made or handled with people's bare hands (even primary school children's bare hands ). I wash my hands after going to the toilet, before cooking, and after handling raw meat - that's about it. I have a dog and a cat and happily stroke them, let them lick me etc. My house is clean-ish. I wash everything at 40° and happily wash underwear with tea towels. I put my pets' bowls in the dishwasher with everything else.

I'm 49 and I've had food poisoning three times in my life - all three times were from seafood served in restaurants. I have never contracted any kind of infection etc from underwear, surfaces, whatever. Unless you are immune-system-compromised, imo it is not just ok but preferable to live in a clean-ish environment, not a sterile one.

I'm pretty unhygienic based on mumsnet standards, of course I brush my teeth every day though - I don't know anyone who doesn't - and my family and I are incredibly healthy. neither DD has ever had a sickness bug aged 11 and 8 so I do think we're doing ok!

[quote Wurdy]I recently wrote this about how revolting people are. Pretty sure this behaviour isn’t limited to the UK.

www.rachelwoollett.co.uk/blog/spitting-feathers[/quote]
Well, dear Rachel, you would be faint if you saw the partner that I worked with picking his bogey from time to time and casually eating it while staring at his computer screen and typing away with the other hand. Think of nibbling away at a Twix bar while typing up your blog....

Then there's the other one who would methodically clean up after lunch at his desk, licking the residual mayo off every finger, one BY one. Then back to handling his mountain of files or putting on the communal kettle.

I fear that you'd have to be rushed to the nearest A&E.

🤢

Yep, eating 'booger' - a favourite pastime for many adults and children here. That blows my mind, I can't even recount the stories.

One thing that really cracks me up is people wiping all the food they buy in the supermarket with wet wipes - anti-BACTERIAL wet wipes. It's pitiful.

@riceuten

One thing that really cracks me up is people wiping all the food they buy in the supermarket with wet wipes - anti-BACTERIAL wet wipes. It's pitiful.

Yes, concern about plastic pollution is SO 2019.

I do this! Spray it all with Dettol. You should see the dirt that comes off it.

I do this! Spray it all with Dettol. You should see the dirt that comes off it.

Yet that dirt never seems to be harming anyone

Yes, I'd much prefer the good old honest dirt than all the chemicals in the dettol.

Yes, concern about plastic pollution isSO2019.

I thought the point was more that antibacterial wipes are not anti-viral, and the pandemic is about a virus.

The conditions I am talking about were anything but hygienic , 30/40 men not a hand basin in view. You really had to see it.

I want to know why this is a problem. Why does it matter if someone is using a "visibly filthy keyboard" or only washes their face mask once a month. Does it make them ill? Does it make them smell? Does it affect their life or the lives of others? If not then why does it matter?

Because a visibly filthy keyboard suggests they don’t care about hygiene at all and probably don’t wash hands after the loo, therefore spreading bacteria. Most offices have some degree of hot desking so you wipe down your keyboard, mouse, desk surface when you log off. If it’s visibly dirty the person was either eating over it or smearing it with dirt from their hands?

I’ve seen people sit at their desk scratching their flakey skin infection down their sock or blowing their nose and touching their keyboard. I hate it when they ask me to help and I have to touch their mouse that’s probably covered in fungal spores or sneeze droplets. No point cleaning? Great way to spread everything from the common cold virus to covid to norovirus to fungal infections!

Only washes their face mask monthly? Why are they bothering to wear it? It offers no protection to anyone if it’s grubby and germ covered on both sides. If anything a damp dirty mask is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses?

These things matter because we’re coming out of a pandemic that spreads rapidly through poor hygiene. Hand washing and mask changing has become compulsory not optional. And surprise surprise there are less outbreaks of flu, D&V bugs, fungal and bacterial skin infections etc since more people now use sanitizer, bin tissues, wash hands, avoid touching their faces and wear masks for close contact and don’t go out when unwell!

So yes, poor hygiene habits CAN make people ill, make their families and colleagues ill too. Does it matter if they smell? In a shared office or having close contact (eg leaning over a patient or serving food) it does matter, it’s deeply unpleasant to put up with BO in a confined space. If someone couldn’t be bothered to shower regularly I’d worry they couldn’t be bothered to wash their hands after going to the loo each time or think hand sanitizer stops us building immunity!

@BeneathYourWisdom you can't claim hand washing and mask wearing during the pandemic is the main reason for the reduction in viruses, colds etc..

The main reason is an enormous drive to cut human contact, close businesses, schools and workplaces and social distancing. This was of course necessary, but came at huge cost in so many ways.

I stink! Menopause is a killer. I need to live in the shower. I wash my masks and my hands are raw. I boost my immune system from a little gardening but its not great as mine is off due to an illness I had. People get too close and I have to tell them but its sometimes met with abuse.
Anyho back to post, I have a friend of a friend, I went for coffee oh god it was awful I stuck to leather sofa and the woodwork was grimy everywhere I haven't been since. I have another friend had 4 cats the place was lovely and clean, not too much that you feel uncomfortable but just right. Now my brothers house is ridiculously tidy, clean I feel like I'm out of place I'm never comfortable drinking a cuppa incase I spill. Nothing to look at no ornaments no clutter it's just blar. The post of picking ones nose, christ that's a horrible habit, it knocks me sick, I have to run and when that person decides to oh feel sick just thinking about it, can't write it but you know use as breakfast WHY WHY WHY would you, WHY.

Obviously its better to have basic hygeine as standard. Hand washing, keeping things reasonably clean, but everyone knows that being too fastidious makes the immune system less robust

The Scum (Sun) is currently sniffing around this thread for a story.

If the journalist reads this DO SOME PROPER FUCKING JOURNALISM and stop scraping MN for clickbait fodder

It seems MNHQ won't do anything unless the OP contacts them