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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:
ginsparkles · 23/02/2022 22:46

At home I'll remove them. Out of the house I never do.

I'm a jeweller and have lost count of the amount of lost rings from taking them off to wash hands. They fall down plug holes so easily, or people walk away and forget them.

I do also clean my rings every few days by soaking them, and they have a deep ultra sonic clean once a week at work.

DirectionToPerfection · 23/02/2022 22:49

At home I would.

People who never do, what about washing your hair? Would it not get caught?

ShippingNews · 23/02/2022 22:52

@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?
Why would there be a germ / bug problem ! Clean rings, clean hands , no problem. And no my rings are not so wide that they leave a damp area underneath, they move a little and the skin gets dried.
Howshouldibehave · 23/02/2022 22:53

@DirectionToPerfection

At home I would.

People who never do, what about washing your hair? Would it not get caught?

This hasn’t happened in 45 years, no!

I’d rather keep them on and not risk losing them.

Madmaxxy · 23/02/2022 22:55

I only take mine off to shower and go to the gym. I'd lose them in a second if I took them off for every hand wash. YABU.

FireInCairo · 23/02/2022 22:58

I just wear my wedding ring and wouldn't take it off to wash my hands. It's antique (made in 1794) and a family heirloom and I just can't risk leaving it somewhere!

Awrite · 23/02/2022 23:02

I only wear a plain wedding band. I never take it off. Would be too scared of losing it.

No, no rash.

I believe a substantial percentage of men and some women don't even wash their hands when they go to the toilet so us wearing our rings is small potatoes.

BearOfEasttown · 23/02/2022 23:04

No of course not!

SmallPrawnEnergy · 23/02/2022 23:04

@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?
I would think your rings never being washed are more likely to have germs and bugs on. I hope you remove them before wiping your arse / preparing food etc if you don’t wash them Envy (not envy).

You can easily move them about when drying your hands to get them dry.

heyitsthistle · 23/02/2022 23:05

I took my ring off to clean out a drain by hand, but that's the only time.

Creeeper · 23/02/2022 23:07

I take mine off all the time! It’s a precious stone and diamonds and quite large so I don’t want to risk ruining it / getting it tangled in my hair etc

I hate the feeling of my rings getting wet and usually a bit soapy. Gross

NewYearCalavicci · 23/02/2022 23:13

Nope , I dint think I havetaken my wedding and engagement ring off since I got married apart from to occasional clean them. I also have a celtic ring my DB bought me when we were in our early teens 20+ yrs ago that very rarely comes off.

TonyThreePies · 23/02/2022 23:18

I do! I hate the feeling of wet rings once your hands are dry. I wash and dry them and put them back on again. Only time I ever forgot to put them back on was when I was newly engaged. I ran back to the loo and fortunately it was on the window sill where I left it but I never forgot again!

It does make me feel a bit ill when I see people on cookery shows plunging a hand with rings on into a bowl of food to mix it.

angelikacpickles · 23/02/2022 23:19

@DirectionToPerfection

At home I would.

People who never do, what about washing your hair? Would it not get caught?

No they don't get caught in hair,
Lou98 · 23/02/2022 23:20

No, I'm a dog groomer so spend a good portion of my day with my hands in water bathing dogs, I've never took my ring off or had any issues with it staying wet or getting rashes on my finger underneath

MaggieMooh · 23/02/2022 23:22

People have a weird obsession with keeping rings on all the time. It’s just a piece of metal. I find it disgusting when people cook food with rings on their hands. Especially when the rings have stones and carvings for germs to hide in. Anyway both my husband and I have very expensive rings that would be totally ruined if we got food etc on them. I have pave diamonds and they would never come clean if I got dirt in the gaps.

Wnkingawalrus · 23/02/2022 23:28

Anyway both my husband and I have very expensive rings that would be totally ruined if we got food etc on them. I have pave diamonds and they would never come clean if I got dirt in the gaps.

Pretty sure most food does not harm to metal and precious stones although I might be careful with pearls and anything too acidic I suppose. How are you cooking if your hands are always getting covered in food?! kneading bread I get, making scones, etc, but I can knock up a stir fry or a roast without covering my hands in food!

Have you not tried a jewellery cleaner? I recommend Town Talk. Pave diamonds come up a treat.

HideousKinky · 23/02/2022 23:29

I always remove mine when washing my hands.
In 34 years of wearing wedding & engagement rings, I have never lost either.
I remember being told that soap can loosen the stones in rings, so you risk losing the diamond from your engagement ring - PPs who said they were jewellers please say whether this is true or not?

Anonmousse · 23/02/2022 23:30

Anyway both my husband and I have very expensive rings that would be totally ruined if we got food etc on them. I have pave diamonds and they would never come clean if I got dirt in the gaps

Gold, platinum or diamonds would not be ruined (or un-cleanable) if coming into contact with food. Although I agree not especially hygienic to wear diamond/gemstone jewellery whilst making burgers or mixing cake mixture by hand.

CointreauVersial · 23/02/2022 23:31

My wedding and engagement rings i never take off. They are pretty bombproof. And I always dry underneath them.

But I do whip off other rings, especially ones that are gold plated and more likely to get damaged.

Never gave a thought to the "bug" issue. If I was operating on someone I might worry, but for regular domestic purposes my hands are clean enough.

Justkeeppedaling · 23/02/2022 23:34

@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.

Blossomtoes · 23/02/2022 23:38

My wedding ring hasn’t left my finger in 22 years. I keep all my rings (wedding, engagement and eternity) on all the time now. No rashes or eczema and perfectly clean hands.

ShinyPikachu · 23/02/2022 23:40

I do at home but not when I'm out as I don't want to risk forgetting them. If I get water under my rings I end up with dermatitis so I find it better to take them off although it's not so bad if there's a hand dryer. I've been leaving them at home through most of the pandemic as hand sanitiser has been a nightmare for causing rashes under my rings for me.

My engagement ring is antique and another ring I wear is newer but inherited so I wouldn't want anything to happen to them. I take them off at home for anything Im using my hands for. I also don't wear them if I'm doing any fitness classes (and one class I do you can't wear jewellery for safety reasons anyway).

AlmostAJillSandwich · 23/02/2022 23:40

I take mine off to go to the toilet/cook etc, but do wash my hands with them on when i come in from outside, but slide them down to wash under and rotate them and rinse off properly.

buckeejit · 23/02/2022 23:43

I don't remove mine, keep them on gardening & allsorts!