To expect my son to wash his hands when he gets in?

[Whyareyousoannoying]

Ds 16yo has been at work or college, come home on public transport.

Aibu to expect him to wash his hands upon arriving home before he starts touching everything especially the fridge, food, cups etc. he will walk straight in and start going in the fridge making a drink not washing his hands.

When I ask him he shouts at me and calls me a germ phobe.

Everyone else in the house manages to wash their hands when they get in.

Wouldn’t bother me at all if my DS didn’t!! I don’t myself either.

Never wash my hands when I get in, no-one in my house does, we never get ill. It's a personal preference in my view.

I wouldn’t even think about this

Not something that would bother me at all. I wash hands after using the toilet and before prepping food but that's it.

Is it a hill to die on?

I'm 60, and have had 60 years of excellent health. Take about one sick day every 4 or 5 years. My son at 16 has never ever had a vomiting bug. And I mean never.

YANBU

Wash hands after toilet. That's it. Very healthy here.
(Also if preparing food for people who aren't my family, in case they're germophobes and get sick easily).

I don't tend to. My 18yo does, but I put that down to a legacy of the pandemic.

I wash my hands before cooking, and after going to the loo, all the usual things.

Edited for typos.

It's good practice.

But it never crosses my mind to wash my own hands when I get home, let alone insist anyone else does.

I think you're being a bit OTT, but I get that this is a requirement in your household so he could perhaps be respectful of that.

Ok I get my son to was his hands after school (he's 6) before getting his snack. But then I am a germ phone so who knows

I don't think it is particularly necessary for him to do this. However, since he knows it upsets you, it would be kind of him to fit in with your concerns.

It depends how you ask him. If you make out he is unhygienic not to do this then YABU. If you just say 'please indulge me in this; it would make me feel less anxious' then YANBU

Wouldnt bother me. As long as hands are washed after going toilet or before food prep its fine.

We have an immune compromised person in our home. This is a hill I will die on. We immediately wash our hands when we enter the house. We also use hand sanitizer every time we get back into the car.

Nope. Not sure why he’d need to wash his hands.🤷‍♀️

Turns it into a must do. Even a 16 yo should understand that.

Probably a bit over the top. Not everything in the world is going to kill you and it’s good to have some germs to build up a tolerance.

I only really wash my hands after being out in public if I’ve been walking round a supermarket with a trolley. They just feel grimy to me. Not sure if they actually are or if it’s a mental thing with me.

Unless there's a immuno compromised person in the house, YABU.

I like everyone to wash their hands when we get in. In an ideal world I’d like them all to shower and change their clothes after school too. But we’ve had threadworms so many times and it’s because of that rather than germs.

I do it without thinking as does my 10 year old, but then we will have been on the bus and tube to get home from school and work, so it is second nature as those tube poles are grubby!!!

Wouldn't cross my mind to. Wouldn't notice anyone else not doing it

He’s right, this is OTT.

Ive never washed my hands when getting home and dont before I eat either. Healthy as an ox and never ill, as are my whole family.

I suppose your hands have only been sitting in Dettol all day?

We do.
It's good practice and through working in kitchens I understand one of the best ways to prevent food poisoning.
Simple enough habit to have.

YANBU, we all wash our hands after coming in, my kids do it automatically without being told now. It's a good habit to get into. We've always done it, nothing to do with the pandemic. It's very rare anyone gets ill here.

But I suspect we'll both get called germphobes OP 🙄