To expect guests to wash their hands on arrival?

[SillyFillyDress]

Am I being unreasonable in thinking people should wash their hands when coming from outside to your house?
Would you ask kids who come to yours for a playdate to wash their hands?
Would you ask adults?

Do you live in an operating theatre OP?

no! Nuts...

We turned our porch into a decontamination room, problem solved.

My family always wash their hands when they've been out. Stemming from my grandparents (and probably they got it from their parents etc) so definitely not a covid thing. I'm surprised it's not more common but then it's very normal to me; in the same way I always take my shoes off, I always wash my hands. I'd never insist a guest did it, or even suggest it. I think that's overstepping.

In nearly 5 decades, I've never known such a thing.

Before food or maybe if they came in from playing outside.

It was a revelation to me when I first started making my kids (and DH) washing their hands when coming home after being out at school and work all day, or visiting family. Suddenly there were far fewer viruses and stomach bugs happening. Now they're young adults they usually do it out of habit, particularly if travelling on public transport which is frankly absolutely minging. Or having been to some kind of event especially involving a buffet.

I had a trial of not washing my hands after coming home after mixing with others at buffets etc thinking I was just being paranoid and a bit weird and thinking I'd been OTT. Unsurprisingly, I caught colds and stomach bugs more so I went back to doing it. I work with small children and on the odd occasion I forget/dont' have time to wash my hands before I eat my lunch, I've had a vomiting bug or covid or something a few days later.

However I would never ask guests to do this. I would inwardly cringe if they'd been on multiple trains, buses and planes especially if just before Christmas or some other special occasion because it could well mean someone gets ill with a cold or something. But I just couldn't bring myself to ask guests this. It's not very welcoming.

Sounds a bit rude tbh. You’ll be spraying them down with disinfectant next 😂

I do think that old phrase (not used very much anymore) "to go and freshen up" doesn't just mean to go to the toilet, when it comes to guests when they arrive. It usually means to have an actual wash of their hands and/or face.

I wash my hands as soon as I get in. I’ve been asked to wash my hands when entering the house of someone with a child who was immunocompromised. I was absolutely fine with that and actually a bit embarrassed I didn’t offer.

If I was asked for a cultural reason, fine. If it was to indulge someone’s anxiety I suppose I would be taken aback

The only time I'd say this is acceptable is when there is a newborn baby, otherwise it's weird. I say this as someone who is who is strict on hygiene.

Surely this isn't real? I'd think you were a complete lunatic if you asked this.

No, not normally.

If they had needed to change a tyre or something totally out of the ordinary which meant they had obviously dirty hands then I would, but normal looking hands - no.

It reminds me of when I worked in a supermarket during COVID. I overheard one customer getting very stressed about the person on the till handling her items. I have no idea how she thought they got onto the shelves in the first place unhandled.

Disordered views on hygiene run rampant on MN.

"germs" and "disease" are 2 different things though. People who don't mix with other can still have lots of exposure to "germs", but they may not have much exposure to disease. Look at tribespeople in very isolated places who don't mix with outsiders. They're terrified of them bringing disease with them. They don't have access to running water, they live often in dwellings which consist of mud or elephant dung, on floors directly on the earth. THey're surrounded by plenty of germs. The difference is they don't experience the cross contamination that comes with living in a city with thousands of people sneezing and coughing into their hands and then touching the same hand rail or escalataor or exit button that you then have to touch.

I have OCD and ask children to wash their hands on arrival. Adults I don’t. But long term guests I’d prefer they did as they’re using more of the house.

Unless I was visiting and planning to cuddle a newborn baby . No

We live in overpopulated and overcrowded cities crossing paths with hundreds of people every day. Yes, we have sanitation, but if we don't actually USE it at the appropriate times then yeah, you're gonna catch the upper respiratory tract infection from the gob that someone has just left on the handrail you just touched on the tube.

Yes I'd find this weird and probably a bit offensive. I wouldn't be rushing back.

V weird I assume this is a joke

I think I'd turn around and go back home if you asked me to do this 😂

Kids, yes, a lot of the time.

Adults, no.

I've always washed my hands after coming in from outdoors, and I've always taught my DCs to do it. If we had friends over straight from school then all the DCs and their friend/s would wash their hands. If parents dropped them off I would assume their hands would be clean on arrival and wouldn't ask them to.

If we were having a meal, then everyone partaking would need to wash hands before eating, regardless of who had brought them to my home. A lot of children who visited told me they had never been asked to wash hands before eating but cheerfully complied. They would usually have played outside, been licked by Dcat, maybe spent time painting or digging, etc. They would certainly have used the loo.

No of course you can’t ask guests to do this, but yes I would ask visiting children to was hands before eating, and offer adults coming for dinner etc a clean towel, show them the downstairs bathroom in case they want to wash their hands. But that’s basic hygiene / manners.

I would wash my hands when visiting someone else if I’d just come off the tube which I frequently use if I’m visiting friends in another part of London.
I would wash my hands before cuddling a newborn baby.
I expect my cleaner to wash her hands when she comes in because she starts by unloading my dishwasher so is handling clean plates. Again I think that’s basic hygiene

Yes to this.

Though the average immune system can deal with most viruses.

Unless you have a newborn or someone with a very compromised immune system or unless someone has come from doing something that’s dirtied their hands (farming, fixing a car engine etc) then yes, it’s an unreasonable and neurotic request.