Don't want DH sitting on kitchen island/worktops - AIBU?

[BearBirdBaboon]

Do the adults who live in your house sit ON the kitchen island or worktops?

YABU - it's OK for them to sit on the kitchen island/worktops
YANBU - they should sit somewhere else

Is this a hygiene thing? If so, if you ever have cats there bum holes are all over your counters - so I would not worry - give it a wipe.

Wouldn't bother me from a hygiene perspective as I don't see it as much different to leaning on one and they get wiped before use.
But I wouldn't like it because I'd be worrying about the workshop cracking

Oh come on of course I have plates etc. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to want to have a clean table without outdoor things plonked on it.

Utterly bonkers.

But surely you put things like...post... Or Shopping bags or people's hands or othe things that may. It be perfectly clean etc in counters/tables?

How dirty is the table going to get from a hand bag? And how is it impacting the hygiene of the consumed food?

It just seems a bit of an over reaction to something that's just fine...

i said it was a bug bear… I don’t really need to explain it but no, I don’t like shopping bags or post on the table either.

@Snoopsnoggysnog
I am exactly the same. And kitchen worktops too. Glad it's not just me!

There is a lack of serious education around hygiene.
It is a fact that even with what appears to be clean clothing they have germs and the longer they are work EG more than a few minutes people do swaet around the bottom etc and sit on ofther peoples cahirs , cars public transport.

I hated poeple sitting in my office chair as some that looked clean often went to clients homes and sat on disgusting soafs etc I just stood up.

So no it is not right to sit on work tops as they are worktops and not seats for that reason.

My wife rightly so does not even alow bags, mobiles on the w/tops

I am very surprised to see so many people are ok with this! I have literally never seen anyone in real life sit on the kitchen bench. Not in my house and not while visiting anyone else. It’s not something I would allow, but it’s never come up as a point of discussion before.

We don't sit on our worktops because they're too narrow, too high and have cupboards above them. I occasionally shit on the table though.

Omfg I meant sit 😲😲😲

Yes I do. Try it. Perching somewhere different makes sitting a little more fun.

I accidentally said shit down to someone and only noted it when people lol.

I'm not rich enough to have decent quality cabinetry. I don't care much about the actual worktop, as it's a hunk of ugly shite - but if the cabinet itself cracks under the weight, I'm not going to be a happy bunny.

I was watching a movie the other night. Girl pops over to new boyfriends house and he is cooking for her. She sits cross-legged on his island. I felt like shouting..get off the worktop. I hate it. It's so unhygienic and frankly disgusting. I am not even that bothered about most things and not fussy at all but no to your arse on my table or worktop. Just no!!

I do this

🤔😂😂

I really wouldn’t have a problem with it. But then I have a cat don’t trust to stay off the counter when I’m out, so each surface gets wiped before it gets used. Any clothes germs would get killed at that point.

I actually think hands are more of a hygiene issue than jeans. I was really shocked when covid started how many people had to change their routines to wash their hands properly (eg soap, the right length of time, after every sneeze etc). People got better for a while but I reckon most have slipped back into their previous habits.

Having said that, I really don’t think there is a realistic risk of getting illnesses from worktops (except where raw meat is involved). The cleaning of worktops after cats / clothed bums / hands is probably unnecessary given everyone I know uses chopping boards for food prep. Mostly done to make me feel better rather than any objective benefit.

Yep we do it always have done if we’re in kitchens chatting

We all do it in this house. Our kids and their mates all sit on the kitchen table with their feet on the bench too. Then we put our clothed bottoms on said bench <faints>

It's completely over the top to think it's unhygienic, unless you're doing the odd operation on there.

This reminds me of my first boss when I was a runner about 15. (He was a 6’5” gay transvestite called either John or Joan depending on what he was wearing at the time!)

He used to stick his head through the dining hatch from his office to the kitchen when we were sitting on the bunkers and shout

“Sideboards are for rissoles not for arseholes!”

I avoid this problem by never leaving the worktops clear or clean enough to sit on.

Crumbs, tea puddles and butter knife smears on your jeans, and having to wedge your arse between a pile of plates and a colander would put anybody off.

I think it’s disgusting. Worktops are for food prep not sitting on. Shopping bags don’t go on there and hand bags don’t either, they often touch the floor so they don’t belong on my work top. We all have different levels of hygiene and I don’t think mine are exceptionally high but this is a big no.

Quartz (and applies to most decorative rock work surfaces) has very low tensile strength and very high compressive strength. If the work surface is unsupported underneath (e.g. breakfast bar type of thing), the bottom surface is subjected to high tensile forces if you sit on it (the bottom surface trying to bend downwards basically) and can crack. Should be fine if well supported on quality units though.

Your classic low end chipboard with melamine on the other hand has very good compressive and tensile strength by comparison so can take a lot more weight without a lot of support (but those of larger disposition had better be careful...)

Agree with this. We have ample chairs and you can always lean against the work surfaces without having mount them imho.