Hand washing

[catnapper]

We had this conversation at work the other day..... I'm posting it as a poll because I want honest answers.

So, do you wash your hands after every bathroom visit? Only public restroom visits? Only if others are watching you?

The reason I ask is because we have our work bathroom right outside the main desk and we hear everything that goes on. And only 1 out of 6 customers are heard washing hands. (Ok, yes, we were bored enough to conduct this "study"!)

[Marigold2]

OMG. Yes, yes and yes. I work for a Dr and I always wash my hands. I must wash them 30 times a day. Some of the patients come in with herpes infection of the eye or pink eye and we wash like mad.

[blue]

Ever used an outhouse or a biffy that was out of handsanitiser in a remote location?

Edit: We carry the adult version of baby wipes on the vans for those occassions now.

[luvofallhorses]

YES! I always do.

[wolf_Q]

The only time I have not washed my hands after going was when I've been out hiking...so I used hand sanitizer instead. I can't imagine not washing my hands, thats just well...gross, to me at least...and I'm not at all a germaphobe.

[blue]

Camping hands, Ill leave it at that. Yall are so civilized.

[jennielynn1970]

I'm a compulsive hand washer, and seeing how other people aren't compulsive about washing their nasty, dirty, hands, makes me EVEN MORE obsessed with washing mine. And the door knob, and the handles and anything you need to touch at the sink, the towel dispenser.... it's never ending!!!:eek::eek:

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yes, I always wash my hands. Not washing is so gross and I've heard that this is how many people get the stomach flu. I even carry hand sanitizer in my handbag so I'm always prepared.

[chocolatepuppy]

Yes, always! And to the ones at work who don't, come on, we can see through the cracks of the doors in the stalls. We know who you are.;)

[Medusa]

W/all these cats, are ya kiddin' me? I probably wash my hands more than a surgeon does, not just after bathroom visits but several times throughout the day. I'm a bit of a clean freak anyhow.

[pomtzu]

Sure - I do for sure. But what has been brought to light lately - is shopping carts - and the thought of what's on them is enough to gross me out. Some grocery stores have the cart wash now, and others offer wipes, but the majority don't. Just think of what is on the push handles alone of these carts - not to mention the rest of the cart! YUK!!! :eek:

[Randi]

I certainly do, and when I come back from shopping, it's the first thing I do. Also, if someone is sitting behind me on a bus, sneezing or coughing, I move!

[Medusa]

Sure - I do for sure. But what has been brought to light lately - is shopping carts - and the thought of what's on them is enough to gross me out. Some grocery stores have the cart wash now, and others offer wipes, but the majority don't. Just think of what is on the push handles alone of these carts - not to mention the rest of the cart! YUK!!! :eek:

My grocery store offers wipes and I always care hand sanitizer w/me. It's the inside of the cart that bothers me. I see too many kids riding in the cart itself where we put the food that we're buying. Their dirty hands and shoes are all over that cart not to mention babies w/dirty diapers.

[pomtzu]

I see too many kids riding in the cart itself where we put the food that we're buying. Their dirty hands and shoes are all over that cart not to mention babies w/dirty diapers.

My point exactly! It's really pretty disgusting, and Lord only knows what we're bringing into our homes because of this! I really think cart wash should be mandatory in all stores where food can be purchased - and that includes places like Walmart!

[Daisy and Delilah]

I can't imagine not washing my hands every time. I wash my hands so much, my hands stay dry. I go through a ton of hand washing soap. In both bathrooms and the kitchen. When I see someone leave a public restroom without washing, I get so upset, I have to control myself and not run after the person.:( Not washing is being lazy and careless and it makes no sense to me!!:(

[Alysser]

Definitely wash my hands on a regular basis. I have OCD with this type of thing, I don't understand why you wouldn't wash your hands it's so gross. It takes all of a minute, I prefer hand sanitizer though, because I don't have to touch the sinks.

You know what I really hate?? Those hand blow dryers, just use paper towels. :rolleyes:

[gini]

I can't imagine not washing my hands after using the bathroom - at home or away.

I read once that you need to wash your hands for 15 seconds to be really clean. Try it - it is much longer than you think. I see people who just put their hand under the water and that's it - off they go.............

Yuck! No wonder we all get the flu or colds................

[Medusa]

I can't imagine not washing my hands after using the bathroom - at home or away.

I read once that you need to wash your hands for 15 seconds to be really clean. Try it - it is much longer than you think. I see people who just put their hand under the water and that's it - off they go.............

Yuck! No wonder we all get the flu or colds................

Someone told me to sing Happy Birthday while washing. That's how long we should take to wash our hands, however long it takes us to sing the song. :p

[gini]

Someone told me to sing Happy Birthday while washing. That's how long we should take to wash our hands, however long it takes us to sing the song. :p

Somehow the vision of someone standing in front of the sink washing their hands - and looking into the mirror while singing Happy Birthday just cracks me up!

Happy Birthday to me..........
Happy Birthday to me..........:D

[Kirsten]

I'm always washing my hands. :)

Kirsten

[kuhio98]

Someone told me to sing Happy Birthday while washing. That's how long we should take to wash our hands, however long it takes us to sing the song. :pI do that too!

I always wash my hands. I am allergic to a lot of the hand sanitizers due to the preservatives. Besides, they always made my hands feel sticky. Good 'ole soap and water works every time!

[sirrahbed]

This post gave me a chuckle because I assume I am a bit OCD about handwashing - so it is good to read that I am in good company.:) oh yes and handsanitizer in my purse. Our grocery store has a big tub of wipes to use as we walk in so I scrub down the plastic push handle on the cart. I never really thought about how dirty the inside gets (another thing to obsess about?) but the food is all in boxes and bags. hmmm....maybe I will have to have an extra handwashing after I handle merchandise, too:p

Recently I heard about the "Happy Birthday" amount of time to wash and tried it a few times....I think I have not been wasking quite long enough:o

[Taz_Zoee]

That is so funny this thread was made, because I was thinking about this same exact thing the other day. At work the sinks are separate from the toilets, but you can hear if they wash or not. Another things that icks me out is when people just turn the water on for a few seconds and get their fingertips wet. I wash with lots of soap!!! I guess working with children instilled this in me. When I worked with babies I had to get special soap with lotion because my hands would bleed from washing so much with cheap soap. And probably from the latex gloves too.

I will admit I'm not as diligent in washing my hands at home each time. :o But I wash them so often for so many other things. :rolleyes:

ETA: I meant to say this before. But at work after I wash I use a towel to handle the doors on the way back to my desk. I started this in Dec 03 when EVERYONE in the office got sick. Guess what? I didn't get sick. :) I had to be in a wedding and didn't want to be not feeling well. So now it's a habit I can't break.
And at home I hate using a dish towel to dry. I have to use a paper towel. Living with my father, you never knew what was on a towel in the kitchen.

[carole]

Absolutely, i would not dream of not doing so, i am fussy when handling my kitties and wash after patting them too, and i do the happy birthday thing, i saw that on the telly once, but i bet some of you don't know it is just as important to dry them well, a university professor here was saying so on a tv programme i watched, so i do that as well.

And yes others are not near as diligent about it as we all here are, i have often seen woman in the public loos, come out and walk straight out, eewwh, imagine what they are going to handle next, could be your food at mcdonalds, no wonder we have such a high rate of food poisoning.

Dare i say it, but i think men are more lax at not washing after their toilet business, infact they did a study here and it proved that this statement is indeed true, nawtee boys.:)

[ramanth]

I always wash my hands. I can't imagine not! Ick! :o

[zippy-kat]

I always wash but there have been times that (in a public restroom) I often wonder if it wouldn't be more sanitary to NOT wash.

[catnapper]

We had fun discussing this at work too. Its common knowledge that the most germy places are public restroom faucets and door knobs. Eeeewwww.

I guess we pet people are more aware of germs than most?

[Dogma5]

Can you believe my kids are the ones that got me handwashing.Not that I didnt before but not every single time.
I have an ocd son and he freaks if someone goes to the bathroom and doesnt wash thier hands.He's like the handwashing cop around here.
Even my 7yo is a confirmed handwasher and will get quite upset if he cant(although Ive seen him wash his hands and its not real great).We do use alot of purell too..

[Catlady711]

Someone told me to sing Happy Birthday while washing. That's how long we should take to wash our hands, however long it takes us to sing the song. :p

I had read that it was the ABC's, so that's what I sing. lol

Actually I've read articles that say because of the anti-bacterial everything (shampoos, soaps, lotions, etc) that people are getting sicker because they have no immunity to the bacteria, and it kills off good bacteria by using it so much.

[IRescue452]

I always wash my hands with soap and for a good amount of time but I'm nowhere near a germ freak. I probably don't wash as good in the middle of the night, and sometimes at work if I know I'm gonna be sticking my hands in a bucket of ammonia chloride when I get out of the bathroom I'll not be so diligent on washing. I have poor circulation so if the water is warm I'll take a few minutes to wash my hands just for the heat value.

[RICHARD]

DUDE.

After working in a hospital for a while I got to know that it's one of the places where you can and will get anykind of ailment.

My office was next door to the restroom and I was well acquainted with people's habits.

MY office was in the anesthesiologist's area -some weren't bad, others??:rolleyes:

The people that gross me out and make me want to kick them in the groin are the stupid men who use a cell at a urinal. They stand there and when the phone rings they HAVE TO STOP, pull the phone out and answer it.


Frigging nasty to think what the germ transfer is from their crotch to the keypad. MORONS!:rolleyes:

[caseysmom]

I voted yes but not all the time...because the middle of the night potty runs don't get hand washings.

[Husky_mom]

I can eat after touching a dog without washing my hands prior.. but I CANNOT leave the bathroom with my hands washed...

I ALWAYS wash my hands after potty breaks.... my hands sure do need lotsa cream by now after all that washing..