AIBU to think this is unhygienic?

[ohohokeydokey]

My DM was standing in the kitchen near the sink wearing rubber sliders and long wide leg trousers that trail on the ground.

She was getting ready to make some lunch, then suddenly puts her bare foot up on the counter next to the drying rack where the clean dishes are sitting. She used to do ballet as a kid so is flexible enough to just kinda chill there like that which is what she did.

Knowing her I knew she wouldn't wipe down the surface or anything and would just go on and put the dishes away and make lunch. So I said in the gentlest, most polite voice possible asked her if she could not put her foot on the counter.

She rolled her eyes at me and left her foot up there for another several minutes😭 Then said her back hurts. She has a bad back, so that's normal for her to say.

As I was leaving the room she said under her breath but definitely making sure it was loud enough for me to hear "I've just been in the shower you know."

She had a shower about an hour and a half ago, she's wearing trousers that she also wore yesterday to the supermarket, on a walk etc and they trail on the ground.

I replied "Sorry, but it's still unhygienic to put your foot on the counter next to clean dishes."

She huffed and sighed, then took that foot down and put her other foot up on the other side of the counter and started doing the dishes like that.

I know this sounds semi hilarious now that I'm writing it out, but please someone tell me whether or not I'm being unreasonable for asking her to remove her bare foot from the clean kitchen counter?

Am I being unreasonable to think it's unhygienic too? I know she showered this morning, but surely I'm not the only one who thinks this is gross?

The foot wouldn't worry me off the house floors were clean to look at. The bottom of the long trousers that have been trailing where dogs have crapped and pissed and gods know what else dropped on them certainly would.

For all the people saying you don't eat off the counters, you do eat off plates and didhes that are placed on the counters, which you then usually use your hands to move to a table or the telly.

This would probably only bother me if I didn't like the person, and it sounds like you don't. Just count down the days till you're out of there OP.

You’re both being unreasonable and winding each other up.

I don’t think what she did poses any real food safety issues. Clean(ish) feet on a kitchen surface are no worse really than hands. On the other hand having to put her foot there as opposed to anywhere else is performative and goady.

I would just focus on getting away from each other and winding one another up.

I need a visual here.

Is OP’s mum standing some distance back from the worktop so her legs are making an 90 degree angle and her heel is resting on the surface?

Or is she standing flush against the worktop and her leg is going straight up from the hip, bending at the knee, and the sole of her foot is flat on the worktop surface? In some kind of spider-like contortionist position?

Neither are great but I’d be well freaked out by the second scenario.

Horribly disrespectful..💐💐

It would make me feel sick seeing someone's foot on the counter. I'm not sure if it would actually be any more unhygienic than someone leaning on with an elbow.

I would find it a bit yuck, and I'm a bit of a slattern, frankly, but that's because I know my own feet aren't fit to go near food utensils, however recently they've been in the shower. I would worry about someone else's on the same basis. It's probably not rational unless you also question where their hands have been, which possibly isn't the easiest conversation.

I do that every day !

I really couldn't get worked up about it as we have a car so we're always wiping down the counters.

Reminds me of when my MIL (who hates me) put her bare feet on the table right next to my dinner plate, repeatedly, making sure it was as close to my plate as possible

Gross. Putting your feet up anywhere (especially bare) is gross and very bad manners. No-one wants to see anyone’s feet like that.

FFS people are so uptight.

None of these things would bother me.

But before I prepare food I always wipe down counters and use a clean chopping board. I also put dishes away as soon as they are washed (which is straightaway).

When I was at school doing Home Economics, we were taught to always wash our hands before preparing food (and after touching raw meat), to tie our hair back and to remove rings if putting our hands into food, eg making pastry etc. I see Meghan Markle frequently flaunting these rules.

misses point of thread

(I could overlook the foot thing if the feet were bare but couldn't forgive it if shoes were involved)

Feet are generally way cleaner than hands .... It wouldn't bother me.

My cat spends a lot of time on our counters, so I wouldn't get worked up about a recently cleaned human foot tbh.

This is another thing I was raised not to do. Never brush your hair in the kitchen and I still don't.

A doctor years ago told me to never put my bag on the floor and I don't, I always hang it up.

Totally agree - I used to work with someone who had really long hair and used to comb it all over her desk, which was opposite mine. All that dandruff and loose hair flying everywhere - just yuk.
Putting your foot on the kitchen work surface is just weird!

Theres plenty of dangerous bacteria on floors, especially if people wear their shoes inside. This includes fecal bacteria from dog mess.

That doesn't explain why it's unhygienic

Do you not wipe your counters before preparing food?

HNRTFT but I am just massively impressed that she is flexible enough to manage that …good on her !

Disgusting, unhygienic, weird attention seeking behaviour

Agreed.

Bacteria from all over the floor gets on the bottom of your bag. You put your bag down on lots of surfaces where the bacteria can be spread to.

A sad old bird who can still get her foot up that high.