Rant about hand hygiene...

[redcarrot1]

My partner is driving me up the wall with his lack of hand hygiene. I have to tell him all the time to wash his hands having been an anxious mess about being pregnant for the first time and worrying about getting infections, like toxoplasmosis etc.

I have witnessed him handling raw sausages, then 'washing' his hands in water (no soap), then drying his hands on our kitchen towel. Just now I've gone to make myself a cup of tea and have found a muddy hand print on the kettle!! Grrrrrrr.

Is there anyone who can share this bug bear with me?? I really cannot wait to stop being pregnant. But then I'll be worrying about everything being sterile for the baby...sigh

I think some of this is the pregnancy hormones! At Christmas I was following DH around with dettol and a cloth as he prepared the turkey, and swiftly putting all the hand towels he used into the wash. I'm not usually like that.

I know ur pain, luckily my hubby is good with hygiene but other people worry me. Over xmas iv hosted buffet style parties and i no some people don't wash there hands after going to the toilet or don't wash there hands properly and have had to plate myself food separately before everyone got there. People have told me I have OCD and since being pregnant it has probably got worse but its much better then being ill. I have never got ill from anything iv eaten or made anyone else ill with my cooking i wash my hands about 50 times and use every bit of cutlery i own when cooking lol. just buy some of the antibacterial gel and keep nagging him til its easier for him to just do it lol x

My husband works in some very grotty houses for a living. He's also rubbish with washing his hands/cleaning under his nails. Plus I had norovirus at 20 weeks with DC1. DC1 was just fine. I wouldn't stress, honestly ;)

I have OCD, and as part of my CBT therapy I'm not allowed to wash my hands at home unless after a no2 or handling raw meat. Although it's hard I'm fine, if my therapist had her way I wouldn't be washing my hands at all at home. I guess it's pretty safe if I'm being recommended it when preg and tbh since starting the therapy I haven't caught half as many colds and bugs as I did with my constant hand washing.

I wouldn't worry about the mud as you'd have to eat it to get even a small chance of contracting toxo, but the raw sausage handling and subsequent towel touching is pretty gross!

I'm very cautious with washing hands when out and about because it's norovirus and cold season. And as we have established, other people are gross (Which brings me to certain restaurants having those trendy little salt bowls out where you pinch the salt with your fingers. In sicky season? Seriously, restaurants?!).
Not so worried when at home though. Apart from anything else, if I wash my hands all the time they get red and incredibly dry.

I sympathise - people are generally gross and pregnancy definitely makes me more sensitive to hygiene stuff. A good friend of mine has this really annoying habit of touching her nose ALL the time. Not exactly picking it but rubbing the tip and then touching everything else. It makes me so uncomfortable that I've started avoiding her.

My DP also does that raw meat followed by a quick splish with water rather than proper hand washing. Drives me nuts!

I hope this doesn't sound too OCD but my main rules that seem to work for me are washing my hands well before eating or drinking anything and never ever touching my face when out. I also quite like it in winter when I can wear gloves all the time on public transport and never have to touch the slimy rails/buttons/handles with my skin.