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.

@biscuitsandbooks it matters to me because like I said. He's coming straight in and going in the fridge, picking up fruit from the bowl, inspecting it then putting it back, opening the cupboards.

I'm with your son I must admit! Yabu

Meh.

I do tend to wash my hands when I get in as I used to work in a custody unit and there are some filthy people out there, touching the same handles , hand rails and pin machines as you. I don't insist on anyone else do it. I also wash my hands before eating if I've gone out and picked up a sandwich at work.

I always wash my hands as soon as I get in but only because of habit through working in a hospital and doing it as soon as I get home.

I don’t think I’d like my children coming straight in and not washing their hands before touching food.

I’m definitely worse since Covid and having children who shared 2 sickness bugs in about 2 weeks with me a couple of years ago. I wish I didn’t care as much because I don’t remember washing my hands so much pre covid.

We do but only because my husband has a weakened immune system.

Right, but if you're washing your hands or the fruit or whatever before you eat, it shouldn't make any difference whether he washes his or not

And unless you're going to enforce a rule where nobody can open a cupboard or touch a piece of fruit without washing their hands first, it all seems a bit pointless anyway.

The amount of soap dodgers on this thread just reinforces to me that washing my hands when I get home is sensible.

No, but I think most people in the world are a bit dirty and gross. Hence why loads of people are saying it’s fine not to….its also a great example of why you absolutely should. Mingers 😂

That is ridiculous, your son is right.

Nope. I was my hands before prepping food but not to make a cuppa.

To be honest I'd rather my family washed their hands after coming in from a public place (work/supermarket/hospital/school etc) than after going for a wee. Preferably both of course. General public is much more grim to me than my own families body parts/urine traces.

I'm with you op. My family have always washed their hands when they get home.
Come in, take off coat and shoes, wash hands

I’m with your son on this one. It wouldn’t occur to me to wash my hands when
I came in unless there was something dirty on them.

I do, but I'm in the habit from working healthcare. I don't get sick much either.

Definitely a hill to die on. YANBU.

https://metro.co.uk/2017/09/07/traces-of-human-and-animal-faeces-found-on-tube-seats-6909963/

All do in my house........but then we all work in health care!
I think the habit started way back though as did used to wash hands when came in from school as all headed straight for drinks and snacks after changed out of uniforms into comfy clothes.

Always! And my Dh and sons do it without prompting (11 and 14). Tell your son you will stop washing your hands before you make his dinner. And that you will visit the bathroom and pick your nose too.

I agree. I shop in a certain supermarket and the amount of people who absolutely reek is unbelievable.

A lot of young men round here seem to walk around with one hand down their trousers.

I see people regularly leaving the toilet at work without hand washing.

I was at swimming lessons earlier and at least 3 people had stinking colds and were coughing and sneezing into their hands hen touching everything.

There's a mega sickness bug going round schools here atm.

All good reasons to wash hands.

I don’t and haven’t been ill in years, not even a cold

Whether it's OTT is irrelevant - it's a thing that's common enough, so it's your house, your rules. It's not like you're asking him to do anything outlandish.

Threadworms too. The eggs are everywhere 🤢 Fair enough if he wants to risk them. When he's older, and has his own place.

I would if I've been touching surfaces that other people with illnesses and dirty hands have possibly been in contact with (so after shopping, etc.)

Myself and my son don't do this, just after toilet, getting messy etc, but actually we should!

Fucking hell. Way over the top.