Disgusting or Not?

[BargingOnBy]

My partner has the habit of washing his hands and his arms up to the elbows at the kitchen sink and then drying them with the hand towel in the kitchen. He has very hairy arms.

AIBU to think this is disgusting and the hand towel in the kitchen should only be used for drying hands, not other hairy body parts?

I don’t feel that it is hygienic to handle food after I have washed my hands and dried them on the same hand towel that he has used.

We all have our things.

I think you should have separate towels

You live in with lots of animals, there's been a bit of a heatwave (if you're in the UK) and you haven't changed your top for five days?

Why are you getting back into dirty clothes after you (presumably) wash each day?

I like really loose clothes and only feel comfortable in that one shirt atm.
I need to wash it before I see my psychiatrist tomorrow or he might think
I’m struggling to cope.

Quite. Maybe there is a shark in the menagerie of animals OAP purports to have?

No one who isn't changing clothes for 5 days (no mention of showering either) with that many animals kicking about would give a shiny shite about this.

Well that rather depends if the person with OCD (which again, OP does not have a diagnosis of) is telling their partner "it's disgusting when you dry your arms on my towel" or "I have some issues due to my OCD which are not a reflection on you or your level of cleanliness, but it is distressing to me when you use the kitchen towel to dry your arms". One is taking responsibility for your own issues and asking for grace, the other is making someone feel disgusting and dirty.

Please explain what the shark reference is for.
I can assure you that everything I’ve said is true.
Mumsnet can confirm I am a genuine, long standing poster, although I have name changed for this post.

I didn’t make him feel disgusting and dirty. He got grumpy as if he thought I was being unreasonable.

🖐Hi there Auntie Val 😀

Even if he was, they would be clean armpits. It's not like he's smearing sweat over everything.
My mind boggles at how some people manage to live life whilst being so preoccupied with unnecessary levels of hygiene.

Yeah, do this! Just because we all think YABU, it doesn't really matter as it's something that bothers you in your own home and you don't need to put up with that whatever other people's opinions are, so have a towel each it'll make you feel more comfortable.

I have OCD op, and I'm sure somethings that I do most other people think are strange, but they mean I live a much more settled life (and I have a really patient and understanding husband who goes along with all of them)

Lol

OK...I am confused, I use a tea towel for food/kitchen related stuff and the hand towel (clue is in the name) for washing hands (and evidently arms) and that being the case, I think it is fine.

The towel thing is fine and normal.

Same top for five days is pretty rank

No clean crockery in the house is fucking disgusting. (that's not on you by the way - both of you). Your kitchen must stink.

You're on the wrong high-horse.

But I was thinking that if I dry my hands on the hand towel that my hands wouldn’t be clean enough to eat a sandwich if he had dried his arms on the same towel. I’ve taken the comments on board though that IABU.

The whole house stinks, to be fair.

In the gentlest way OP, while I’m very much for you washing your shirt for your own sake, please tell your psychiatrist the truth &/or show them this thread if you’ll struggle to articulate what’s been happening. They can’t help you if you’re not honest.

You know chef hygiene states that the washing up you should make sure you don't miss the fingernails, cuticles and forearms. Guess you're not eating out again 😂

The soap breaks the bond in bacteria and means he is clean. I think you should rely on the science.

I thought you meant he washed his armpits first. Surely hands are dirtier than arms

I'm an incredibly hairy woman and don't think it makes me dirtier than anyone else.

Well armpits sweat unlike forearms and hopefully hands.
Replace the hand towel & get out your hand vacuum 🤣🤣🤣

Has he had his arm up a cows back side?

If not I personally don't see the problem.

Germs arent all bad surely or we wpuld survive in a sterile world.
Pathetic

Scrap the towel idea and just use paper towels to dry skin. 🙄🫤

One square per person though! OMG that reminds me of staying with granny as a child. Two sheets of toilet paper only and they were handed to us before we entered the bathroom. 😠

Blimey I thought I was fairly lax about hygiene compared to some on MN. However you have been wearing the same shirt for five days and have no clean crockery and you are complaining about him wiping his clean arms on a towel?
This is surely a wind up, are you bored in the school holidays op?