Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you take off your rings when washing your hands?

56 replies

helpamamaout · 23/02/2022 22:10

Lest there br any confusion......rings on fingers and thumbs....

It gives me the boke when I see people wash their hands without removing their rings......I don't know which is worse....in the toilets or in a kitchen

OP posts:
Xiaoxiong · 23/02/2022 22:17

I wear my engagement and wedding rings on my left hand and they have come off only three times since I got married - at the end of two pregnancies, and once when I broke that finger. I wash my hands multiple times a day with soap and water, and the rings get washed at the same time. I'm not doing open heart surgery so I don't think I need to do much more Confused

IsDaveThere · 23/02/2022 22:20

No, I don't. I wash my hands lots throughout the day and never take my rings off. I'm sure I would lose one pretty quickly if I did!

dementedpixie · 23/02/2022 22:21

I barely ever remove my 2 rings. Yabu

EricScrantona · 23/02/2022 22:21

I couldn't be dealing with the stress of remembering to put them back on. I'm absent minded at the best of times.

What is it that gets to you about it??

My solitaire ring gets liquid soap/shampoo build up in the holes but I just poke it out.

TarcasticSwat · 23/02/2022 22:22

YABU and need to find a more worthwhile gripe tbh.

2pinkginsplease · 23/02/2022 22:22

The people I know who remove their rings to wash their hands are the ones who have either lost their engagement ring or all their rings.

I don’t take mine off to wash my hands and I wash my hands many many times a day due to working in an early years setting.

DramaAlpaca · 23/02/2022 22:22

I only wear a wedding ring. The only time it's been off my finger in 32 years of marriage is when I was pregnant with DC1 and my fingers swelled. So no, I don't take it off when washing my hands and I'm perfectly happy with my standards of hygiene.

Original poster
helpamamaout · 23/02/2022 22:23

Germs and bugs aside ..... doesn't the skin on your fingers under the rings get wet during washing? And therefore rashy if not dried?

OP posts:
TwinkleToesStrikesAgain · 23/02/2022 22:23

Yes I do. Or rather I did. Stop bothering to put the rings back on - I prefer clean hands.

Bryonny84 · 23/02/2022 22:23

No. I once took my wedding ring off at work to wash my hands thoroughly, got distracted and forgot to pick it up and put it back on. It was never seen again :0(

Pedalpushers · 23/02/2022 22:25

I do, but I worked in microbiology and I'm especially sensitive to things that are secretly gross.

Wnkingawalrus · 23/02/2022 22:26

I’m “blessed” with skinny fingers with large knuckles. So I struggle to get my rings off/on. Any bigger and they just rattle around and rotate which is irritating. But means it’s a faff to take them off so I don’t really bother.

Lemonysherbet · 23/02/2022 22:26

I can't even wear mine, cheers eczema

Xiaoxiong · 23/02/2022 22:27

No the skin dries just fine under the rings. Never had a rash and it doesn't stay wet.

Wnkingawalrus · 23/02/2022 22:27

@helpamamaout

Germs and bugs aside ..... doesn't the skin on your fingers under the rings get wet during washing? And therefore rashy if not dried?
No. Only if the soap isn’t rinsed off properly in my experience.
pinkstripeycat · 23/02/2022 22:28

If I took them off every single time I washed my hands after going to the loo, preparing food, came in from dog walk, gardening, housework, washing the car etc I’d never have them on!

BooksAndHooks · 23/02/2022 22:28

No I don’t take any of my jewellery off even when I bath. However I can’t wear my wedding rings at the moment as a result of not taking them off when washing it resulted in making my finger sore underneath with the trapped soap and water. So probably better to take off for that reason.

HallieHufflepuff · 23/02/2022 22:29

My mum told me that I would lose my rings and accidentally leave them somewhere if I kept taking them off to wash my hands Smile
so just be careful if you are taking them off a lot.

I don't wear my rings in the house though when I'm just chilling at home.

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 23/02/2022 22:30

My wedding ring - no, but that’s because it’s silver so won’t tarnish and also too difficult to get off. I’m not actually wearing it at the moment.

Most rings I have are cheap costume jewellery and I do take those off.

Overtheroadroundthecorner · 23/02/2022 22:31

I wash my hands about 500 times a day while I’m at work. If I took my rings off every time I’d never see them again.

HippeePrincess · 23/02/2022 22:35

No, it’s surely more hygienic to wash your hands thoroughly with your rings on than use dirty hand to remove rings, wash hands and then put dirty rings back on?

Cocomelonearworm · 23/02/2022 22:37

I always take mine off. Engagement and wedding rings plus one other. I hold them in my teeth to make sure I don't lose them. It's not for hygiene reasons, I just don't like the feeling of washing my hands with rings on and I usually put hand cream on straight after drying too so this avoids getting cream on my rings.

Anonmousse · 23/02/2022 22:37

I'm a jeweller - I don't take my rings off when I wash my hands but I do take my engagement ring off when working or cooking. I do clean the engagement ring regularly (but rarely take off or clean my wedding ring)

I can tell you though, by far the most gross (worn) jewellery we see (to repair or copy) is earrings!! EnvyEnvy < not envy!

ouch321 · 23/02/2022 22:39

This is why I don't wear any rings ever. They're not hygienic.

angelikacpickles · 23/02/2022 22:42

@helpamamaout

Germs and bugs aside ..... doesn't the skin on your fingers under the rings get wet during washing? And therefore rashy if not dried?
Yes it gets wet but not rashy because you move the rings and dry under them.