Washing Hands - do you always?

[Earlybird]

Do you wash your hands after you go to the loo? I am amazed at the number of people who exit public bathrooms without stopping to wash....even in restaurants! Particularly aware of this, as have been teaching this lesson to dd. She doesn't hesitate to loudly announce "that lady didn't wash her hands" whenever it occurs!

i do not use anti bac soap - i generally use ecover products but do have ordinary liquid soap. I don't think people who wash well are washing compulsively - that is if you wash your hands unreasonably often - and after changing nappies or handling raw meat is not that. don't think salmonella is good for your tummy!

any infection control nurse will tell you anti bac soap is not necessary unless there is some sort of surgical procedure about to take place, or a dressing change for example. soap/liquid soap is all thats required

I agree with a lot of you!

Obsessional cleaner at home but public loos....i would rather use a wet wipe once out of the danger zone!

hunkermunker - agree with your comment "...germs from faeces can "get through" ten sheets of toilet roll..." - did you see the same 'educational film' that I saw at school. They were doing some sort of experiment to demonstrate how easy it was for germs to get through loo roll and they got up to about ten sheets before they stopped. Stuck with me ever since and yes, as I said the other day, I am a washer!!!

i saw that film! and it made a rather deep impression...

The ten sheets thing...

I crunch up my loo paper before I wipe my bottom.

Reckon it must be about 2cm thick when it comes into contact with The Germs.

Will wash properly after bowel movement, less fastidious after a pee.

Am I foul?

Fairly reasonable IMslovenly opinion Spots.

Sweetmonkey - you can get those hand cleansing gel in Boots (one brand that I know of is Cuticura). I've also seen some in Asda, they also have a strawberry one for kids.

those dettol ads really annoy me tho - showing your baby's high chair covered in stuff and saying there are more germs there than the floor. I don't really want to cover my baby's stuff with chemicals - i think soap and water is just as good.

ruty - soap and water is better!

My floor's filthy, I really doubt DS's highchair's dirtier Doesn't have a tray for a start!

Some old goat had a go at me the other day for not washing my dd's hands after we'd been to the loo - conveniently overlooking the fact that the sinks were situated at the level of my armpits, and there was no way on earth a 4 year old could reach them (and yes, she did wash her hands - in the disabled toilet across the way).

Bloody goats, eh, WWB

ALSO - those who inform us the reason they don't wash their hands because there are more germs on the handles of the door to the loos...how the feck do you think those germs got there, hmm? Not put there by the washers, were they?

Just to put a twist on it, I wash my hands before I go to the toilet in a public loo (and after obviously!!)

OK, I'll ask...why?

Over zealous I guess - it started because I used to be v concerned about germs and stuff on my hands and now its just habit.

wwb-yes anyone else get really peed off about the height of washbasins in public loos - far too high for kids

dd is scared of the hot air dryers in public toilets. She'd be completely hysterical if I made her use them so we dry her hands on tissues. But if there are other people in there using them she won't even stay by the basins long enough to wash so we have to clean hands with wet wipes. Now, is that just as good as special hand cleanser stuff or not? Don't think I can cope with having another thing to carry around in my bag!