to wash my hands every time I've been out?

[itsallsohard]

Since the pandemic, I have taken to washing my hands as soon as I come in the house from outside. Obviously perhaps if I've been on public buses, or gardening; but also if I've just been out in my own car, or to the grocery store. None of us in the family is especially prone to illness or to worrying, and before the pandemic (unless someone in the family was actually sick) we all just washed hands after using the toilet and before cooking or eating.

Is it really disgusting that I didn't do this before 2020? Or is it a bit OCD that I do it now? I genuinely can't decide. YABU = that's too much hand-washing. YANBU = sounds normal, we do too
(edited to try to get rid of some rogue strike-outs of whole lines...)

I'm exactly the same though and it's not OCD it's just a difference in standards plus I loathe eating in the street.

I think if you work in health care and see the things that are transmitted via the faecal-oral route you just innately wash your hands.
That and the survey which showed the vast majority of men don't wash their hands after peeing.
No thank you,I'm the sane one 😂

Yanbu

But as someone who does suffer with diagnosed ocd, please please think about using 'a bit ocd'. It doesn't even make sense to be a 'bit obsessive comoulsive disorder'. Please don't minimise what is a horrific mental health illness. It's a bit like saying 'a bit anorexic'. It really hurts some of l us who have it and makes it seem trivial. It's a really misunderstood condition as it is!

But definitely not unreasonable to wash hands. I would hope most people did it!

Glad someone said this. It's not a "bit OCD" to practice basic hygiene. I've always given my hands a good wash when I get home from wherever I've been. Doubly so if that involved public transport or a supermarket. A lot of people are disgusting!

Exactly my partner has it. I've seen his hands cracked and sore from over washing. I've seen him rattle the front door handle 33 times to make sure it is shut.

Washing hands when you get home isn't ocd its basic hygiene.

Of course I do, often in fact as I am out walking a lot. What sort of public toilets do you have in the UK for it to be such an issue? Ours are kept very clean in my town, or anywhere else I have visited.

@HowIrresponsible

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm 'lucky' that my ocd doesn't manifest in physical ways generally, more the intrusive thoughts side of it and I'm well controlled these days through medication but it's a truly horrific condition and it fucks me off when people think because they like a clean and tidy house or their tins facing the same way or keep up with basic hygiene that it's OCD.

What sort of public toilets do you have in the UK

Generally pretty grim!

And how many times do you think you touch your face or mouth before you manage to get home to wash your hands? You might not realise you are doing it, but you will be.

I have never in real life experienced so many people who are terrified by the germs which are all around us.

I never said we have streets paved with blotting paper, don't be ridiculous.

However, after a few years on MN I can see that local councils in many places in the UK are low on funds and don't appear to be providing the services they should do. In my town the public litter bins are frequently emptied, the public toilets regularly cleaned, instead of our library closing we have a brand new one, twice the size of the previous one. I once sent a friend in the UK a photo of our town's Christmas tree - instead of mentioning the tree she commented on how clean the main street looked!

You not walking into your home without taking your outdoor shoes off anywwhere in the world means nothing to me, some people do that, most of my acquaintance don't as we don't find it necessary. Shock, horror, I sometimes walk on the footpath WITH BARE FEET and then walk on my carpet.

I have never in real life experienced so many people who are terrified by the germs which are all around us.

It's basic hand hygiene. It's common sense. I'm sorry you were so badly brought up you were unaware of it.

How dare you suggest I was badly brought up!! At least I was brought up not to be such a cow so lacking in good manners towards strangers as you appear to be. As I have already said, I don't know anyone who washes their hands as constantly as MNers do (or indeed induge in many of the OTT hygiene practices that they do). At the age of 64 I rarely visit the doctor, have never been admitted to hospital, and my late DM, who was also not obssesed with "germs" had her first hospital stay at the age of 76 - so we must be doing something right.

Incidentally, I've just been for a 70 minute walk, and kept my eyes on the footpath to look for dog poo - I found one (1) small pile. Maybe, just maybe, some of us live in countries which are not as filthy as the UK appears to be so we don't need to be cleaning said filth off ourselves so enthusiastically.

Nothing says good manners like calling someone a cow.

Germs are invisible. Unless a cleaner is going in and cleaning the floors every time someone does a poo in them, they might look clean but you’re still getting faecal germs all over your shoes.

Poo on the floor Floorbard?😮
I think what you do is normal OP, especially after shopping or public transport. Unless you're thinking about it all the time it's fine.

@ForGreyKoala still won't say which country she lives in. Wonder why that is?

So, @ForGreyKoala is from New Zealand. I've spent quite a bit of time there and I don't recognise these pavements or sparkling toilets she speaks of. Infact I found the South Island rather behind the times in respect of lots of things.

Even if they were power-washed every day (as in Singapore where I also lived) I still have enough manners and respect to take basic hygiene steps. Everyone in power-washed pavement Singapore removes their shoes before entering a home so why would someone in normal day to day dirty pavement New Zealand think their dirt was superior?

"Born in a barn" is what my DM would say !😂

I wash my hands more often since COVID, too.
I think it’s a natural consequence of having lived through a contagious pandemic!

Yes I wash my hands and antibac phone with wipe after I get in I've done it ever since covid I don't see a issue with this I think it's normal

Nope. Don't do this, never worry about it, and never get sick. In my view it is part of a movement towards hyper hygiene in our society, exacerbated by social media, which is very damaging for people, and I feel sorry people who suffer from it.

It isn't normal, in my view.

YANBU

Covid hasn't changed my habits at all

It's a great habit, not just for ourselves but for the greater good. Any tiny thing that helps stop the spread of infection lessens the burden on the NHS. Perhaps minimally but it's a damn sight more useful than clapping on your doorstep.