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?

I would automatically wash my hands if I felt they needed it (for example, I’d come from petrol station, shops, public transport), or if I were visiting a house with a newborn baby. Otherwise, no, a bit OTT.

I'd find it more awkward if a guest came into my home and immediately requested to use the sink or basin to wash their hands. Unless they'd been gardening or something. If you wash them after the bathroom then surely your hands are clean? If you eat with cutlery you don't touch other people's food?

I wash my hands when I come back into my own house but not so much going into other people's houses. I can't eat without washing my hands though so if I was offered a cuppa and biccy I'd have to use their loo and wash my hands.

You have no idea what your hands have come in contact with if you've handled money, used public transport, used a public loo, pushed a trolley or carried a shopping basket.

Just because you can't see bacteria doesn't mean you haven't picked it up from surfaces you've touched.

Most immune systems are able to deal with it all, though hand sanitiser helps too. Washing with ordinary soap and water when you return home or go to someone else's house is easy, and something my mum always made us do as children. She was brought up on a farm and was strict about leaving the farmyard at the door, iykwim. (Even though we lived in the suburbs).

I get my primary school age kids to wash their hands when they get in from outside / school because it’s germ seqson and we had a newborn. Now I’m thinking it’s just actually been sensible for everyone as touch wood we’ve not had any coughs or colds! Usually would have by now.

So yes if another child was here I would say the same.

I don’t think I would for adults though.

I think this is a You problem OP.

You can't dictate to adults when to wash their hands ffs.

Um, we are though aren't we? Covid hasn't gone away, only the boosters have.

Dirty

Not a bad idea.

Would I ask an adult - a guest in my house - to wash their hands? No because I'm not insane or controlling.

YYY

I'd like to swab surfaces on the trains I take on a daily basis, the handrails on escalators, lift buttons, etc, and see what they're all coated with.

Yes, if you're going to be doing certain specific things, including touching a vulnerable person (baby, ill person etc), eating, cooking, working with delicate fabric etc.

It’s funny how people get so offended by basic hygiene. No wonder infections when down during covid when people were encouraged to wash their hands more.

Yes, I always ask children. I always wash my hands when I come in and ask to do it at other people’s houses, No I wouldn't ask an adult to do it, but I do notice who does and who doesn’t (internally).

it’s not so much about germs, the outside world (especially public transport) is grimy. I like to keep my home clean.

I always wash my hands when I have been out shopping or on public transport, before cooking, after emptying bins etc. I just think it is a good habit to get into. I wouldn't ask guests , but I assume they wouldn't be handling my food or anything.
Children who have been at school all day I would offer them a drink/snack and just jolly them along to wash their hands first.
Hand washing is a really good way to avoid spreading germs.

The first cases of SARS were traced back to lift buttons.

Ah well, I’m in the 5% who agree with the OP.
I don’t ask adult guest to wash their hands but it secretly annoys me when they don’t, I ask the kids though.
This is a pre-covid habit, I have always been a bit strange about touching things outside, like buttons push to cross the street, imagine all the fingers who have touched it, including men who went to the loo and didn’t wash hands, people who picked their nose etc, would you not wash your hands after touching the same surface they touched?

I think it would be off-putting if a host seemed completely unconcerned if I didn't "freshen up" on arrival. I'd wonder if they had washed their hands before handling food tbh.

3 hours later and the op hasn't returned ......... Any point carrying on?

These drive-by threads are so transparent. 🙄

I agree 100% with all of this, and it applies in the US and Ireland too. Coughing, sneezing, spitting, wiping noses on the back of their hands and on sleeves - I'd say people are pigs but I'd probably be insulting pigs.

we had a big drive on this hand washing through covid to help stop spreading illness - now it sees people have forgotten.

Washing hands does help and with winter illness rife presently, especially with children - its a good habit

hand foot and mouth is going through nurseries like wild fire

She's probably having her porch transformed into a sanitizing area.

I wouldn’t, but I’ve been to houses where it’s their custom and it doesn’t bother me. If they asked in a funny way I’d be upset

I’ve they’ve travelled on public transport esp tube, then yes. If they’ve just driven or walked, definitely not!

I think I opened a can of worms here.
So basically we wash our hands when coming home. For me this is a simple reasonable action. Why wouldn't you wash your hands after school/shop/public transport. I won't ask our guests to do it but I'm hiring a nanny at the moment and I would love her to follow the same routine. I had a couple of trial sessions and noticed no one does it so I raised the question.