# How often do you REALLY wash your hands?



## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

I didn't want to hijack the "hand sanitizer" thread...

Honestly, how often do you visit the sink and scrub properly with soap and water? Do you wash thoroughly when you use the bathroom at 3am? Especially my fellow pregnant mommas that get up frequently?

I'm good about doing it while I'm cooking and when I use the bathroom in a public restroom...However, when I'm at home and not about to eat or something I don't always wash properly. It's a little annoying to scrub each and every time when you know you'll just be back in 30 minutes.

Am I just totally gross?


----------



## fek&fuzz (Jun 19, 2005)

I wash each time I go to the bathroom. But a 3am pee will probably just be a quick rinse.

After brushing the dog.

When I come in from having been out running errands (that's a big one for me.)


----------



## hedgehogs4 (Aug 22, 2008)

I am an RN so at work A LOT... at home after a bm... mine or anyone else's







- food prep before and after and anytime i touch raw meat as a rule. oh, and when they're dirty from toddler or baby goo.


----------



## Sasharna (Nov 19, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *hedgehogs4* 
... at home after a bm... mine or anyone else's







- food prep before and after and anytime i touch raw meat as a rule. oh, and when they're dirty from toddler or baby goo.

Yup! Same here.

You should've made a poll.


----------



## LeighB (Jan 17, 2008)

I wash after every bathroom and diaper change. Every time I come home from some where, even if it's just down to the mail box.








I still get sick a whole lot though...


----------



## sweetpeppers (Dec 19, 2007)

I wash after poopy diaper changes, and occasionally after I use the bathroom, and when my hands get dirty. I pretty much never get sick. I am not really a huge believer in germs though... sure if you're handing feces or cadavers, but otherwise not big on handwashing.


----------



## JamieCatheryn (Dec 31, 2005)

Only before I prepare any food for others and then if I get anything like raw meat or oily stuff on me then after. After using the bathroom I just rinse, maybe soap after bm, mine or wiping the toddler.


----------



## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

I wash my hands A LOT! only cause I'm ocd about it, though. The only time I guess I do not is when I pee in the middle of the night. I don't flush then, either.

I'm not a germaphobe I just can't stand my hands feeling dirty or sticky or smelling like anything







We definitely do not use anti-bacterial anything (handsoap or sanitizer crap) and my kids do not share the handwashing love that I have. They, however, pretty much never get sick so maybe it's because I am not one of those mom's who insists on handwashing except when we are in public restrooms. I mean, I get on them to wash after going to the bathroom but not necessarily before meals or after school, etc.


----------



## OakBerry (May 24, 2005)

I wash frequently. I am a former RN (well I still am but haven't worked in 6 years) so it's habit. I am also going through chemo. I don't use antibacterial soap but I wash before eating, after using the bathroom, and any time I come in from outside or doing errands. I also wash my hands after handling my cats, they are outdoor mouse eaters.
I have ds in the habit of doing the same thing. It's a pain and I have to remind him, but he understands the importance of it.
I'm also a bit OCD about food safety. If leftovers aren't eaten the next day, they get tossed. If I handle raw meat, I disinfect everything.
We don't get sick a whole lot.

Normally I am much more relaxed, and I do admit that the 3am pee only gets a rinse.


----------



## MacKinnon (Jun 15, 2004)

I teach food safety, so I wash alot! Before and during cooking, especially after handling raw meat or eggs, I will stop and clean/sanitize the counter and all dishes used for said meat/eggs before moving on to prep raw veggies, after using the bathroom or helping anyone else in the bathroom. Before eating, everyone washes before eating especially!! We have pets, so I worry about making sure the kids wash well before eating. I am not a particularly fastidious housekeeper though, nor do I worry alot 'germs' or sick kids. We are all generally very healthy people, especially me and DD. I worry more about food sources and handling of food during processing, delivery and storage. All that said, I do not wash during 3am pees


----------



## Porcelain Interior (Feb 8, 2008)

EVERY single time I use any bathroom including at my home.

EVERY single time I return to my house after being out and about.

Before I eat or prepare food, and many times during the food prep process.

If I am sick I wash them even more especially before touching shared things like doorknobs etc.

If I need to touch my face I wash my hands before and after as well- this is the most common way infection is transmitted- hand to face.

My kids also wash their hands before eating, after playing, upon entering the house from school or public places and I'm proud to say both my girls wash each time they use the restroom home and in public- this is not a negotiable thing.

We use hand sanitizer after touching grocery carts, debit card machines, money or any public surface after our trip is done- usually this is done in the car.

I also don't allow my kids to eat on the fly unless there is a place to wash hands first. Ick.

This is the only way really to have any control over viruses and other contagious things- it really minimizes exposure.

And I don't have raw hands and neither do my kids, I'd say I probably wash my hands 10-20 times a day depending on how much cooking I do, or how much I need to use the bathroom.


----------



## thepeach80 (Mar 16, 2004)

I dare say most don't wash their hands properly, but washing any way helps some. I was taught proper 'nurse' handwashing this summer (hopefully starting nursing school this fall) and we were supposed to wash for 2 mins before and after shifts, after using the toilet, before and after eating, and I think that's it, it's 30 secs for other times and them we used sanitizer too. I don't wash near as well at home as I did this summer! We did this thing this summer w/ 'glo-germs' and it was gross what all can still be on your hands even after a proper washing!


----------



## gurumama (Oct 6, 2002)

Whenever I touch raw meat.
After cooking/shopping food.
After washing dishes.
After going to the bathroom (every time, no matter what).
After changing diapers (when I had kids in dipes).
After doing yardwork.
Anytime my hands hands have gotten dirty or I've gone a time without washing them.

I get about 1 cold every year, so it works to reduce getting sick.


----------



## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

: Wow, you guys make me feel like such a slob! That will probably change after the baby gets here, though.


----------



## OakBerry (May 24, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *thepeach80* 
I dare say most don't wash their hands properly, but washing any way helps some. I was taught proper 'nurse' handwashing this summer (hopefully starting nursing school this fall) and we were supposed to wash for 2 mins before and after shifts, after using the toilet, before and after eating, and I think that's it, it's 30 secs for other times and them we used sanitizer too. I don't wash near as well at home as I did this summer! We did this thing this summer w/ 'glo-germs' and it was gross what all can still be on your hands even after a proper washing!

Yup, and rub in between your fingers, under your rings, and around your fingernails. Every winter I get eczema from all the washing. Doesn't matter what kind of soap I use either. I used to get it so bad during my work days and it would get better on my days off, only to get worse again when I went back.


----------



## Ks Mama (Aug 22, 2006)

Every time after:

using the bathroom (except middle of the night pee - that's just a rinse)
changing a diaper
coming in from playing outside
opening the mail
coming home from errands/shopping/playground, etc.

Every time before food prep and/or eating.

We wash a lot with a non-antibacterial soap & use a natural hand sanitizer & wipies when out.

We're sick with colds pretty frequently around here in the colder seasons. But both children are in school, and DH & I work outside of the home and we live in NJ - most densely populated state in the USA, so... lots of exposure to germs I guess.







We take probiotics, vitamins, echinacea, garlic, elderberry, etc. Just the way it is with having little kids.


----------



## lovbeingamommy (Jun 17, 2007)

Let's see...

I wash BEFORE/After using restroom especially if I'm in public.

Before eating or preparing food

Everyone's hands get washed thoroughly after being out in public.

This brings up another interetsting subject...I think I'll put up a poll though.


----------



## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Drummer's Wife* 
I wash my hands A LOT! only cause I'm ocd about it, though.









:


----------



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

Wow that is a lot! I will admit I do NOT wash my hands nearly that much. I was not raised with handwashing being something that we did, my mom never had us wash our hands really ever, so it is not ingrained in my day. I have been trying to get better about it but it is surprisingly hard to rememberu. I do wash a lot before, during and after food prep especially if it inolves meat or eggs. I usually don't wash after pees but I do after poos mine or DDs. I don't make DD wash her hands after she goes potty, she is not wiping herself yet, so she doesn't touch anything. I do wash after using a public restroom and I try to remember to wash before lunch and have DD wash too but I would say I forget about 50% of the time. Never do it before breakfast and tend to never do it before snacks either. I don't really stress about washing after we have been out and hardly ever use sanitizer only if we are going on vacation soon or something. Otherwise I'll wash them if they "feel" icky. I get sick maybe 1 or 2 times a year. Same goes for DD.


----------



## dearmama22 (Oct 20, 2008)

wow, I'm quite embarrassed after reading all of these replies!!
I wash my hand when using a public restroom but I don't wash my hands at home after I go pee...

I always wash my hands in public restrooms ( and use the towel to open the door...)
I don;t get sick veryoften


----------



## Porcelain Interior (Feb 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *snoopy5386* 
Wow that is a lot! I will admit I do NOT wash my hands nearly that much. I was not raised with handwashing being something that we did, my mom never had us wash our hands really ever, so it is not ingrained in my day. I have been trying to get better about it but it is surprisingly hard to rememberu. I do wash a lot before, during and after food prep especially if it inolves meat or eggs. I usually don't wash after pees but I do after poos mine or DDs. I don't make DD wash her hands after she goes potty, she is not wiping herself yet, so she doesn't touch anything. I do wash after using a public restroom and I try to remember to wash before lunch and have DD wash too but I would say I forget about 50% of the time. Never do it before breakfast and tend to never do it before snacks either. I don't really stress about washing after we have been out and hardly ever use sanitizer only if we are going on vacation soon or something. Otherwise I'll wash them if they "feel" icky. I get sick maybe 1 or 2 times a year. Same goes for DD.


^I imagine your DD places her hands on the toilet seat to steady herself. Toilets spray germs into the air and on everything around them- fecal germs. (You can look this up, if you flush with the toilet seat up the fecal germs basically blast into the air- they have videos that show how most of our toothbrushes have fecal bacteria on them from this.)







:

Same for when you're just peeing. You're touching the flusher (same flusher you touched after a #2) and possibly lifting the toilet seat etc.

Cleanliness after using the toilet is important if you want to avoid things like stomach bugs, the runs (the kind you can catch), and other things we carry in our lower GI tract that can make us sick.

Basically the bathroom is "contaminated" so if you touch things you touch after taking a #2 even if you haven't taken a #2 you should wash your hands.

And I wasn't raised or told to wash my hands, I just realized when I got older and had a baby that I needed to wash after diaper changes poop OR pee so it was also vitally important for grown ups too.

That's my train of thought anyway, and the health department agrees. (My husband is a chef, and people not washing their hands after using the restroom for any reason is a major cause of food borne illness.)


----------



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Porcelain Interior* 
^I imagine your DD places her hands on the toilet seat to steady herself. Toilets spray germs into the air and on everything around them- fecal germs. (You can look this up, if you flush with the toilet seat up the fecal germs basically blast into the air- they have videos that show how most of our toothbrushes have fecal bacteria on them from this.)







:

Same for when you're just peeing. You're touching the flusher (same flusher you touched after a #2) and possibly lifting the toilet seat etc.

Cleanliness after using the toilet is important if you want to avoid things like stomach bugs, the runs (the kind you can catch), and other things we carry in our lower GI tract that can make us sick.

Basically the bathroom is "contaminated" so if you touch things you touch after taking a #2 even if you haven't taken a #2 you should wash your hands.

And I wasn't raised or told to wash my hands, I just realized when I got older and had a baby that I needed to wash after diaper changes poop OR pee so it was also vitally important for grown ups too.

That's my train of thought anyway, and the health department agrees. (My husband is a chef, and people not washing their hands after using the restroom for any reason is a major cause of food borne illness.)

Actually my DD sits on a potty ring so she doesn't touch the seat when she is sitting on it. And what I meant by I wasn't raised to wash my hands was that it isn't ingrained into my routines and my consciousness as something to do. I am trying to remember, but I often forget. I am also not really concerned. I get what you are saying, about the germs in the bathroom, but I don't really buy it. After all I don't wash (and so do many others apparently) and I'm not sick and don't get sick often with stomach bugs. We have had 3 stomach bugs in the almost 3 years since DD has been born and I can't remember having any for years and years before she was. Also, I don't know how others wipe, but I use sufficient toilet paper that my hand only touches Toilet paper and not poop or pee, so no poop or pee getting on my hands, the flusher or anywhere else.


----------



## mytwogirls (Jan 3, 2008)

Do you REALLY want to know..







? Ok since you asked....I change them after bowl movements, anyone I happen to be cleaning up (including mine too







) and really other than that.......not really







: I do before I prepare a meal too. I am an RN so at work I scrub ALL THE TIME (my hands are like sandpaper right now because of the cold temps and washing...it has dried them out...ick!) I am a firm believer in we have an immune system so let it do its job!!!!!


----------



## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Porcelain Interior* 
^I imagine your DD places her hands on the toilet seat to steady herself. Toilets spray germs into the air and on everything around them- fecal germs. (You can look this up, if you flush with the toilet seat up the fecal germs basically blast into the air- they have videos that show how most of our toothbrushes have fecal bacteria on them from this.)







:

Same for when you're just peeing. You're touching the flusher (same flusher you touched after a #2) and possibly lifting the toilet seat etc.

Cleanliness after using the toilet is important if you want to avoid things like stomach bugs, the runs (the kind you can catch), and other things we carry in our lower GI tract that can make us sick.

Basically the bathroom is "contaminated" so if you touch things you touch after taking a #2 even if you haven't taken a #2 you should wash your hands.

And I wasn't raised or told to wash my hands, I just realized when I got older and had a baby that I needed to wash after diaper changes poop OR pee so it was also vitally important for grown ups too.

That's my train of thought anyway, and the health department agrees. (My husband is a chef, and people not washing their hands after using the restroom for any reason is a major cause of food borne illness.)

True, but you do wash your hands after touching things in the kitchen? I can't tell you how many studies I've found that say that eating in your bathroom is better than the kitchen because of foodbourne stuff...







I'm not trying to be mean. It's just something I've always heard.


----------



## Porcelain Interior (Feb 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *AFWife* 
True, but you do wash your hands after touching things in the kitchen? I can't tell you how many studies I've found that say that eating in your bathroom is better than the kitchen because of foodbourne stuff...







I'm not trying to be mean. It's just something I've always heard.

Definitely, the kitchen is the capital of handwashing in this house it can be worse than the toilet in most houses.









I don't use sponges either. Ick.


----------



## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

^

Yeah, apparently according to studies, the kitchen is actually dirtier than the bathroom - namely the kitchen sink and washrags.

We don't wash much in this house, and it doesn't really phase me. Oh well! Sure, we wash after a bm (either our own or a kiddo's diaper), but other than that, no. After peeing? Very quickly. Pee is sterile anyway so I figure a rinse-off is plenty. I don't even wipe my kids' bottoms after a pee diaper.

I wash after handling raw meat, after putting away groceries or cleaning the rabbit's cage.

I always wash after using public restrooms, and never touch the trigger to dispense the paper towels (I use an elbow) or open the door handle without the paper towel in my hand.

But before meals in general, no. Even after coming inside from playing outdoors I don't require a handwashing unless they are filthy or something. No problem going from outdoor play to snacking. They also don't wash after handling my Mom & Dad's cats and dogs.

And my kids are never sick either. We get one cold a year, per kid. And so far one tummy bug per kid per year.


----------



## mamatoakd (Jun 11, 2008)

We wash all the time. When we walk in the door to the house, shoes come off and we walk directly to the sink and wash. ALWAYS after using the toilet or changing a diaper. Before touching food and definitely immediately after handling eggs and/or meat. I often bleech the counter where eggs/meat have been prepared. After wiping a nose, playing outside, handling the mail, etc. We also use hand sanizier immediately upon leaving a store or any other public place. Kids have hand sanizier on their desks at school.

We rarely get sick. I do believe that kids immune systems need to be developed by coming into contact with lots of germs, but there's a limit to how much we should spread...

I have to say that reading about others not washing after using the toilet is grossing me out!!! Isn't that how pinworm spreads?


----------



## mytwogirls (Jan 3, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamatoakd* 
We wash all the time. When we walk in the door to the house, shoes come off and we walk directly to the sink and wash. ALWAYS after using the toilet or changing a diaper. Before touching food and definitely immediately after handling eggs and/or meat. I often bleech the counter where eggs/meat have been prepared. After wiping a nose, playing outside, handling the mail, etc. We also use hand sanizier immediately upon leaving a store or any other public place. Kids have hand sanizier on their desks at school.

We rarely get sick. I do believe that kids immune systems need to be developed by coming into contact with lots of germs, but there's a limit to how much we should spread...

I have to say that reading about others not washing after using the toilet is grossing me out!!! Isn't that how pinworm spreads?

Oh wow, that is a LOT of handwashing







Pinworms:

http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseas...fact_sheet.htm


----------



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

I agree, if I washed my hands as much as some of the people on this thread I'd be washing my hands 50+ times a day easy. That is just crazy to me......


----------



## Ks Mama (Aug 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *snoopy5386* 
I agree, if I washed my hands as much as some of the people on this thread I'd be washing my hands 50+ times a day easy. That is just crazy to me......

Why is that crazy?


----------



## Ks Mama (Aug 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Porcelain Interior* 
I don't use sponges either. Ick.









: double, triple ick!!


----------



## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ks Mama* 
Why is that crazy?

Well, I'll answer!









If I washed my hands after every nose-blowing episode in this house (whether that be from sick snot or crying-caused snot), every pee diaper, every time I got the mail, every time I handled money, every time I touched the rabbit's cage or handled a pet, every time I entered and exited the bathroom even when not going #2, every time I came in from outside, from shopping or running errands, and every time I wanted to eat, grab a snack, fix the kids something to eat, fix the kids a snack, etc....I would never leave the sink!

Yeah, that would be crazy to me too!


----------



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Sancta* 
Well, I'll answer!









If I washed my hands after every nose-blowing episode in this house (whether that be from sick snot or crying-caused snot), every pee diaper, every time I got the mail, every time I handled money, every time I touched the rabbit's cage or handled a pet, every time I entered and exited the bathroom even when not going #2, every time I came in from outside, from shopping or running errands, and every time I wanted to eat, grab a snack, fix the kids something to eat, fix the kids a snack, etc....I would never leave the sink!

Yeah, that would be crazy to me too!

THANK YOU!
It is crazy because my hands would be chapped and bleeding. I was thinking about this thread today as I went through my day and there were several periods where if I washed as often as others did on this thread I would have been washing my hands 10 or more times in a 15-20 minute span. That is crazy to me. Can I ask why people wash their hands after handling the mail?? That would have never occurred to me in a million years.


----------



## Ks Mama (Aug 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *snoopy5386* 
THANK YOU!
It is crazy because my hands would be chapped and bleeding. I was thinking about this thread today as I went through my day and there were several periods where if I washed as often as others did on this thread I would have been washing my hands 10 or more times in a 15-20 minute span. That is crazy to me. Can I ask why people wash their hands after handling the mail?? That would have never occurred to me in a million years.

Mail is handled by so many people on the way to you... its not something I'm comfortable opening and then just moving along with my day. Not to mention the anthrax scare years back... ack. Anyway, I don't think I'm out of line with washing after opening the mail, or any of the other things I mentioned - bathroom, pets, etc.

As to those saying their hands are dried out - I keep lotion right at the sink; my hands don't get dried out. I clean dishes by hand too.


----------



## OakBerry (May 24, 2005)

I wipe down my purse, keys, and cell phone with witch hazel periodically as well. They get set down in public/germy places alot.
I also do my steering wheel because I come out of public places and that's the first thing I touch.
But I am immunocompromised right now, otherwise I don't do that.

To those who said that pee is sterile, it is while it's in the body. Once it's out, it starts growing bacteria at a rapid rate. That's why old (even an hour) pee stinks.


----------



## Kappa (Oct 15, 2007)

I incidentally wash my hands throughout the day, when I happen to be at the sink anyways (ie washing my face, washing fruit in the sink, washing dishes). I don't think I go wash my hands specifically because I think they are germy unless *I* am buggy and sneeze or cough directly into them. The skin on my hands would not be able to take the constant soap, I would have dry cracked skin and the itchies.


----------



## Porcelain Interior (Feb 8, 2008)

I don't think it's weird if you don't wash after handling mail and things like that, that is really for me a personal comfort issue. A lot of the sick stuff hand washing I do to try and NOT catch what my kids have. I have no health insurance, and I have asthma so it's just what I do. Again that is a personal comfort issue, or a courtesy if I'm sick and trying to not give out my illness to my family. On normal days when no one is sick and I am at home there isn't so much handwashing going on.

Bathroom and kitchen handwashing is always super frequent though, this is a health issue- and IMO is not something I'd change because it is healthy.

I realize I wash after things most people wouldn't and most Americans don't even wash after using the toilet, I think it's really raunchy, but it is a free country.

I do think it's gross to use the bathroom/change a diaper #1 or #2 and not wash your hands.

There I said it.










*The pee is sterile issue is moot. You aren't washing your hands because you got pee on them, you're washing them because you had your hand by your butt, and you touched the toilet/flusher which has bacteria on it unless you wipe it down with an anti-bacterial wipe after you flush.


----------



## Anastasiya (Jun 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Porcelain Interior* 
*The pee is sterile issue is moot. You aren't washing your hands because you got pee on them, you're washing them because you had your hand by your butt, and you touched the toilet/flusher which has bacteria on it unless you wipe it down with an anti-bacterial wipe after you flush.

I don't have my hand by my butt when I wipe pee.







:

If it's that problematic to be touching privates in close proximity to a butt-hole







, then most of us who let our kids go around naked at home should probably reconsider doing so.









As for the flusher, in public restrooms I use my foot, always. And I always wash there anyway, pee or poo. At home, I think it would be a different issue if my kids wiped their own bottoms, but they don't, so their hands are clean enough when they flush anyway. When they are old enough to wipe their own poopy bottoms, I will likely think differently about this. Then again, I also clean my bathroom daily, so the flusher is disinfected daily anyway.

(Oh yes - and to those who are concerned with those of us who don't wash after a pee, I agree that urine isn't sterile after it sits outside the body for awhile. But I never said we allow that...we do RINSE after a pee, just not wash - which was the OP's question. So a rinse certainly is good enough for getting already sterile pee off one's hand.)


----------



## ann_of_loxley (Sep 21, 2007)

I couldn't tell you how much...
I _always_ wash my hands after having a poo and before messing about with food. The rest of the stuff - nope.
I am not a germaphobic and we are very healthy because we dont live in a bubble!


----------



## JamesMama (Jun 1, 2005)

I'm a bit of a germeaphobe.

I also work in a Fast food resturant.

Daily, I wash my hands when getting to work, after I prep each item, before and after I handle the raw food, before and after setting up each food prep area, at start of shift, after I remove my gloves, as soon as pratical after handeling money/doing register, after the restroom (before leaving the bathroom and again upon returning to my work area), after doing dishes, after I make a food item if pratical (not going right to food item #2), after dealing with the fryer.

Like an average day:

Get in, clock in, turn everything on
Start dishwater
Wash hands
Get pans/etc I'll need for the day
Prep up steam table, etc
Get cheese and heat it
Wash hands
Flip/fill as needed
Wash hands
Put heated cheese on steam table
Wash hands
Get eggs, heat
Wash hands
put eggs on steam table
Get sausage
Wash hands
put sausage in pan, heat
Put sausage on steam table
Wash hands
Get bacon, heat
put bacon on steam table
Wash hands
Make coffee
Wash hands
Do other food prep
Wash hands
Open register
Wash hands (dirty money)
put out rugs, open door, check lobby, etc
Wash hands

Then after every order, if able I wash my hands. Also before any prep up I do during the morning for lunch I wash my hands before and after everything....eta again, at work I easily wash my hands over 30 times. Easy.

Then: When I get home, after every bathroom deal, before and after preping any food, after I eat, after every diaper change, after every nose wiping/coughing/wiping nose, after I come inside if I've gone outside, after doing anything with the cat litter, after feeding the cats, after starting laundry (I always get soap on my hands), after any cleaning...

Yeah, I'm a germaphobe.

Yes my hands are horribly cracked 98% of the time. Right now they are so cracked and dry I can barely make a fist. Yes, I wear gloves at work (health department regs) when handling food but I still need to wash my hands often.

I have bag balm for lotion, it works fairly well.


----------



## BaBaBa (Jun 30, 2007)

I have really cut back on the hand washing at home. My hands were drying out so badly my fingers were cracking, very painful and dry hands carry even more bacteria I heard. no amount of moistuirizer helped.
If I was out in the public I would still wash compulsively. It's the first thing I do when I come home.







:
If I was cooking for company I'd wash all the time too








I do spray toothbrushes with alcohol every day








And kitchen rags, scrubbies are changed daily.
I am disgusting, I know but healthy


----------



## 2xy (Nov 30, 2008)

I worked in health care for a number of years, and now work in a restaurant. So, on top of being slightly germophobic, I've been conditioned to wash my hands a lot.

I wash before:
-eating
-using the toilet (in public places)
-putting on makeup
-preparing food

I wash after:
-eating
-using the toilet
-preparing food
-returning home after errands (especially grocery shopping...cart handles...ick!)
-scooping the litter box
-cleaning house
-blowing my nose (rarely sick, so that's not often)
-brushing the cats or the dog
-diaper changes (back in the day)
-after removing plates and glassware from a customer's table (at least a rinse, if I'm pressed for time)

Yes, my hands are snaggy and dry in the winter, despite the frequent use of lotion and creams.

We don't live in a bubble, and we are still healthy. My husband and kids wash their hands frequently, too.

And actually, since someone mentioned it....I do have a couple of friends whose small children run around with no pants/underwear on all day, and it sort of skeeves me out to sit on their furniture.

You know what else grosses me out? When I see families waiting at the deli in the supermarket, and their kids have had their hands all over the disgusting cart and who knows what else, and the counter person offers them all a slice of cheese or ham or something. ::gag::


----------



## orangefoot (Oct 8, 2004)

I don't wash my hands much at all compared to others on this thread. Toilet, preparing food and gardening or cleaning disgusting stuff and that's about it. I don't have a dishwasher though so my hands are often in the sink.

There are 6 of us in our family and we are all sturdily healthy.

Those of you with cracked, dry hands are ignoring your bodies' messages.
Your bodies are telling you that the excessive washing is damaging your tissues. Surely our skin barrier is designed to be air and water tight to keep germs out of our bodies directly. If your skin is cracked then you are leaving this barrier unguarded and therefore increasing your risk.

In any other situation would you not try to do something to remedy this skin condition and alleviate discomfort? Do you want this for your children?


----------



## mytwogirls (Jan 3, 2008)

I am an RN in Labor/Delivery so I wash all the time at work, but at home hardly ever. Seriously. Poop, vomit, food preparation and that is about it unless I have something icky on my hands. We are all very healthy. I just don't think about washing that much really. It does not bother me and frankly I would get tired going to the sink that much. And I hate lotion for hands, it has always left me feeling slimy like...ick. Anyway, it is interesting to see how many times a day some people wash their hands...wow.


----------



## BaBaBa (Jun 30, 2007)

I definitely think it's possible to wash your hands TOO MUCH, especially in your home environment. Out in the public is a totally different story.

Anyone read 'good germs, bad germs'...I forget the author's name...

Anyhow there's so much 'good' bacteria around us, it's important to have contact with it to train our immune systems to differentiate between the good and the bad germs.


----------



## Porcelain Interior (Feb 8, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *orangefoot* 
I don't wash my hands much at all compared to others on this thread. Toilet, preparing food and gardening or cleaning disgusting stuff and that's about it. I don't have a dishwasher though so my hands are often in the sink.

There are 6 of us in our family and we are all sturdily healthy.

Those of you with cracked, dry hands are ignoring your bodies' messages.
Your bodies are telling you that the excessive washing is damaging your tissues. Surely our skin barrier is designed to be air and water tight to keep germs out of our bodies directly. If your skin is cracked then you are leaving this barrier unguarded and therefore increasing your risk.

In any other situation would you not try to do something to remedy this skin condition and alleviate discomfort? Do you want this for your children?

People have different skin types. Some cracks easier than others. My children do not have cracked skin. In the winter when we get drier skin we use lotion.

Having dry skin doesn't mean you should stop washing your hands- you should definitely evaluate if you are doing it excessively (it can become a problem for some people who do it compulsively) and what type of soap you are using, we use a mild soap here.

I think it's a stretch to start saying we're harming our children by encouraging handwashing in areas where it is the correct thing to do.

My children wash their hands:

After they use the bathroom
When they enter the house after school or from being out in public
Before eating

That's it, and I find it strange that that would be considered excessive.

It is proper hygiene.

Doctors are notoriously bad about washing their hands, I've worked in a clinical setting and most just get very ho hum about it. There's a reason there is so many infections getting transferred in hositals, healthcare workers and people in general ignore this vital and very basic action- handwashing.


----------



## JamesMama (Jun 1, 2005)

95% of my handwashing is done at work. I do wash after diaper changes, pottying, laundry, etc at home but at work I don't really have a choice. I have to wash my hands an ungodly amount for state regulations. County health code requires a glove change after moving from touching 1 food to another (except on the prep table obviously, but if I'm making XYZ food item I have to change gloves after adding the X then again after adding Y and after adding Z) and washing hands before every glove change.

I choose to wash hands often when running register because money is disgusting. If I lotion my hands a few times a day that really helps with the dryness. I lotion often at home...never at work, but often at home.

ETA- and like a PP I'm not harming my children. James washes his hands: After using the restroom, before he eats, after he eats (he's almost 4, he's a messy eater and all food is finger food), when he comes in from outside. That's it.


----------



## IndigoEyes (Apr 17, 2005)

I wash my hands quite frequently thorugh out my day. Having twins, I'm changing twice as many diapers, so I'm washing my hands after twice the diaper changes. I have hand sanitizer in the bathroom, so often if they were just pee-pee diaps, I just use the sanitizer. Same if I've just peed. But after any poos, mine or babes, I wash. I also have Lysol wipes in the bathroom and every other day I wipe down the surface areas of the toilet and the surrounding floor. Once a week I take lysol wipes to all door knobs as well.

When out in public, hand washing is a must. I have hand sanitizer and handy wipes in my van, in my purse and in diaper bag.

I don't really get the washing after opening mail part, but one thing no one else mentioned.. do you wash after putting gas in your car??? YUK!! I have a bottle of foaming sanitizer in the map pocket of my drivers side door. After pumping gas and before touching anything else, I wash my hands with it.

My hands are a little dry, they were seriously sore and cracked a few weeks ago when everyone but me in out house had the stomach virus. I washed my hands so much during all that. After all I was cleaning up vomit and diarrhea several times throughout the day. I was bound and determined that I wasn't going to get it. And I never did. So that's proof there that frequent hand washing is your greatest defense against getting infected or sick.


----------



## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Ks Mama* 
Mail is handled by so many people on the way to you... its not something I'm comfortable opening and then just moving along with my day. Not to mention the anthrax scare years back... ack. Anyway, I don't think I'm out of line with washing after opening the mail, or any of the other things I mentioned - bathroom, pets, etc.

As to those saying their hands are dried out - I keep lotion right at the sink; my hands don't get dried out. I clean dishes by hand too.

On the mail thing, yes mail is handled by people along the way but so is everything else on the planet. I don't wash my hands after opening the vinegar bottle I bought at the store, or the video I rented, or the library book I borrowed or the hundreds of other products in my home. I believe most of the mail sorting process is pretty automated these days. And yeah, I don't think handwashing is going to do anything against anthrax, you would inhale it as soon as you opened the envelope.


----------



## dividedsky (Jul 24, 2006)

i wash my hands.... in the shower. and before i cook. and if they are literally dirty from gardening or something. that's it. knock on wood, i VERY rarely get sick.

germs don't scare me


----------



## Drummer's Wife (Jun 5, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Porcelain Interior* 

Doctors are notoriously bad about washing their hands, I've worked in a clinical setting and most just get very ho hum about it. There's a reason there is so many infections getting transferred in hositals, healthcare workers and people in general ignore this vital and very basic action- handwashing.


no kidding! I spent 3 weeks in the hospital earlier this year and I was really surprised to see the doctors and specialists pretty much never wash their hands. I mean, I may have saw them do it a couple times and the nurses did occasionally but otherwise they used the sanitizer pump that was outside my door.

In the ICU, nonetheless. I just hope that when they went in to the other rooms, you know, the ones that had contagious disease signs or whatever on the door, that they washed their freakin hands.







:


----------



## liberal_chick (May 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dividedsky* 
i wash my hands.... in the shower. and before i cook. and if they are literally dirty from gardening or something. that's it. knock on wood, i VERY rarely get sick.

germs don't scare me









Me too.


----------



## Sasharna (Nov 19, 2008)

I'm curious what people are trying to prevent, when they wash their hands after entering a bathroom in any way. I have no doubt that there are germs all over the bathroom--I just doubt they're likely to cause any trouble.

I would think that if it were significantly dangerous to pee and leave your own home bathroom without washing, people who do so would be seriously ill a lot more often.

What are the risks and how likely are they?


----------



## Gabe'sMummy (Dec 4, 2008)

I wash mine
-always after handling eggs/raw meat (obviously.)
-always after changing a no. 2 nappy but not always after a wet one.
-always after going to the bathroom whether its 3am or not!
-after blowing nose etc
-after touching something particularly nasty








I live in britain, not sure whether that makes a difference how hygienic we are. But every mama I know sucks their kids' dummies/pacis after dropping them on the floor...I have seen 1 wipe her kids with a milton wipe and I thought it was weird...how backwards is that? DS is rarely sick and when he is he shakes it off very quickly.
I never worry about germs when I'm out, maybe I should! I do wipe down the public change mats though if I am changing DS when out but I wouldn't freak out about him sitting in the trolley where other kids have sat.
Some of us panic about other people and their germs they have left on things but they are probably pretty clean too







we always assume strangers are filthy but not usually the case!!


----------



## [email protected] (Jul 11, 2007)

I love these threads, my dh is such a germophobe at least now I know that he is not as crazy I thought he was!

I generally wash my hands:

- after using the bathroom
- after handling bodily fluids/solids (poop, pee, vomit) both human and pet.
- before cooking/preparing foods
- after handling something gross - including raw meat, slimy things, etc.
- when they have something on them that I want off (ink, dirt, glue etc)

That is about it. FWIW I hardly ever get sick. I don't even get the illnesses that make their way into my house.


----------



## BaBaBa (Jun 30, 2007)

ummm...
so if urine is sterile why do we have to wash our hands after a pee anyhow?


----------



## Crunchie (Jan 9, 2007)

I'm on both sides of the spectrum.









When I'm in public, I'm OCD about restrooms. I am no germaphobe, but I am a little weirded out by public potty germs. I don't touch any part of the toilet. I long ago perfected the fine art of hovering. I tear off about 6 inches of toilet paper and just toss it before tearing off what I actually use--someone else's dirty hands probably touched it. If the paper towel dispenser at the sink requires me to touch it to dispense my paper, I do it before I start washing my hands, so I don't have to touch the dispenser after I've washed. I use a paper towel to open the restroom door when I'm finished. I also use anti-bacterial wipes for shopping carts before I touch them and before put my son in the seat.

At home? I wash before prepping food--most of the time. I wash after handling eggs (we're vegetarian, so no raw meat is ever in our kitchen). I wash after #2s (mine or baby's), but rarely #1s. I darn sure am not washing after a midnight pee. Whatevah.







I wash if I've come in from taking care of the animals (we have horses, goats, and chickens--hands get plenty dirty). Other than that, I only wash if my hands have otherwise gotten yucky (with some sort of food or dirt or whatever).

But overall, we're pretty relaxed about hand washing at home. We wash after the obvious yucky stuff. I will wash more frequently if anyone is sick--which, honestly, is very, very rarely. We rarely get colds and even more rarely get stomach bugs. I do not use anything anti-bacterial to clean with inside my home, except very rarely I will use a bleach solution for something that has come in contact with something especially high on the "ick" scale (chicken poo or especially gross dog messes). I strongly believe that antibacterials and disinfectants are dangerous in the long run. Bacteria are rapidly evolving critters--we are only developing supergerms by continuing to use disinfectants unnecessarily. Now, I believe that there is a place for disinfectants, of course. In hospitals, or in homes if someone in the household is immunocomprised, for example. I just think that, in most cases, using them repeatedly throughout the day and for every surface in your home isn't solving anything. If anything, it's creating bigger problems.


----------



## Toolip (Mar 7, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Porcelain Interior* 
Toilets spray germs into the air and on everything around them- fecal germs. (You can look this up, if you flush with the toilet seat up the fecal germs basically blast into the air- they have videos that show how most of our toothbrushes have fecal bacteria on them from this.)







:


That theory has been debunked. It's true that the toilet does spray but the actual bacterial residue is basically non-existent. Toothbrushes may have lots of bacteria but it is from your mouth, not the toilet. Bathroom surfaces aren't generally conducive to bacterial growth anyway.

I'm really surprised how many obsessive hand washers there are here







I would have expected a lot more talk about how important germ exposure is to immune system development.










Those Oprah type shows where they go around culturing items and then being super dramatic about how they grew.... du.. du.. du.... BACTERIA. Germ-a-phobe propaganda makes me so







Of course there are bacteria, they are everywhere and most of them are in the range of won't hurt you to good for you.

I had a microbiology professor who only wanted his kids to wash after #2 and NEVER with antibacterial soap (because it doesn't even work as well as regular soap and it is harmful...). He was so worried that they weren't getting enough exposure for their immune development because of the sterility obsession in our culture.









Does anyone here consider it unhealthy to wash your hands _too much_? I do!









I wash after poop contact, when fixing food for people other than myself, and when they feel gross. I think I do wash more in public bathrooms, probably every time but I'm not sure why. I'm positive those bathrooms are cleaner than mine







:


----------



## Toolip (Mar 7, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gabe'sMummy* 
I live in britain, not sure whether that makes a difference how hygienic we are.


I think it makes a big difference! I think that beliefs about germs are very cultural


----------



## dividedsky (Jul 24, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BaBaBa* 
ummm...
so if urine is sterile why do we have to wash our hands after a pee anyhow?









what i don't understand is why there is the need to wash your hands after you pee every time. is everyone getting pee on their hands but me? maybe i use an unusual amount of TP, but it's very very rare that i get anything on myself...


----------



## Alison's Mom (May 3, 2007)

I'm not a germaphobe or anything, but I wash my hands quite a bit, in fact, so often sometimes that I have really dry skin:

after a poo - mine or either kid (after my own pee, if my hands don't actually touch the pee, I just rinse)
after coming home from errands
after touching raw meat, or anything that might have come into contact with raw meat, like the inside of my kitchen sink
any body fluid of a person who is sick

We don't get sick that often, and I refuse to use antibacterial anything, or hand sanitizer except in an emergency situation.

We also have severe food allergies in my house, so I make the kids wash their hands with soap and water when they come home if they've touched anything, like communal toys, shopping carts, etc.

All the said, my DH hardly ever washes his hands, and only ever uses soap if he thinks I'm looking, but then again, he's not the one changing poo diapers either. He hardly ever gets sick.


----------



## DBZ (Aug 9, 2005)

I wash my hands way to much. I'll even wash them while I am doing the dishes where there is already soap and water involved. I always use soap when I wash my hands but I don't always wash the top of my hands with soap.


----------



## crazydiamond (May 31, 2005)

I wash my hands a lot and honestly, it skeeves me out to see how many don't wash much at all.

About half the time I wash to remove germs. That happens after I go to the bathroom (poo or pee, every single time), change diapers, and before and during food prep.

The other half of the time I wash to remove dirt. I wash my hands after opening the mail because a lot of the time it's dusty. I wash my hands after eating because I don't like my hands to smell like food. Stuff like that. I guess I just consider stuff to be "dirtier" than a lot of you. . not dirtier because of germs, but because of dirt!

For the person who mentioned washing hands after pumping gas. . .I absolutely do. Not because I'm afraid of the germs I came into contact, but because I don't want gasoline residue being absorbed into my skin! Hand sanitizer does nothing for this situation. . because then all you have is sterile gasoline, which is absorbing into your skin just the same. That's pretty much the main reason I don't use hand sanitizer ever, because it does nothing to actually remove dirt, it just slushes it around.


----------



## Smalls181 (May 12, 2006)

I will admit, I am not a huge hand washer. For me, its after bathroom, or changing a poopy diaper. If I am handling raw meat or eggs, and generally before I start to cook. Sometimes my hands just feel like they need to be washed, and I will do that, too. I dont think about washing my hands before I eat.


----------



## mumm (May 23, 2004)

Our family rule is that a good washing is required whenever you first come in the house. (from school, friends, library, store, playground, etc.)

Then at all the usual times- bathroom needs, cooking, etc.

Plus whenever they are "dirty"- playdo, glue, sawdust, etc.

Then the right before bed wash up if they didn't shower/bathe.

I don't wash after I pee at home most times but my kids don't know that!

With two toddlers who require full assistance with handwashing I feel like I wash about a zillion sets of hands a day!


----------



## MoonStarFalling (Nov 4, 2004)

I usually wash my hands if there is visible poop on them







and always after cleaning the litter box or using a public restroom. Those are the only times though.


----------



## 2xy (Nov 30, 2008)

I'm kind of like Crazydiamond....I often wash to remove dirt and other things. At work, I'm not so much afraid of germs as I am afraid of getting tomato sauce on my all-white uniform. I don't like my hands to retain odors, either.

In regards to urine....it's only sterile if the person is healthy. Someone suffering from a UTI can most certainly pass bacteria through their urine. Mostly E Coli.

I find it somewhat humorous that there's this thread, where handwashing is seen as over-the-top by some, and another thread where some people freak out if you wear your shoes in their house.


----------



## Llyra (Jan 16, 2005)

I wash after pooping or changing a poopy diaper, after I knead bread or do anything else messy with my hands, after I handle raw meat or eggs, and whenever my hands are sticky or noticeably dirty. I use castille soap and hot water. I don't use hand sanitizer or anything like that, or antibacterial anything. Oh, and if I scoop the cat litter box, and when I've been gardening. But sometimes I forget. I'm really not too worried about washing often. The only time I'm fanatical about hand washing is when someone in the house has a gastrointestinal virus, but that's because I have a chronic illness; an intestinal virus is a very serious thing for me, plus I take a medication that suppresses my immune system.

I think it's bad to wash too much. Dry, cracked skin is not healthy. The oils in your skin, and an INTACT skin, are your best protection against germs, anyway.

It's also not healthy to be too clean. Those antibacterial soaps and stuff don't just kill dangerous bacteria. They kill ALL of them. Our bodies are meant to be colonized with bacteria. It's natural and normal and healthy. Reasonable precautions against obvious sources of infection like feces and raw animal products-- I get that. But some people go too far. Our bodies are very able to protect us from the small ordinary exposures we get every day. And germs don't live very long on a hard, dry surface, so handwashing after opening mail makes not a lick of sense to me. But if it makes you feel better, go ahead.

I don't pump gas. There is no self-service gas pumping in NJ. But if I did, I might wash. That makes sense to me.


----------



## ScotiaSky (Jul 2, 2004)

I wash after using the washroom, changing a diaper, wiping a bum. I don't get up to use the washroom at night so cannot answer for that part. If I did I might or I might not. Depends on how awake I am.

Before preparing food and usually several times during meal preparation.

After coming home from a public place and after using household cleaning products.
As well as after many other activities during the day like taking out the garbage, rolling coins , etc.

The only thing I hate is when DH or DS does not put the toilet seat and cover down I have to go in and do it for them and then have to wash my hands after that. The whole not putting the seat/cover down making me waste my time doing it then washing my hands is really starting to get old fast.

And of course I have to help our two DC wash their own hands..DS has just got all enough to be able to do it by himself now.

I don't use antibacterial soap just whatever appealed to me at the store when I last bought and my hands only get real dried out in the winter if I have been cleaning\doing the dishes with really hot water and no gloves.

It adds up to a lot of hand washing during the run of a day.


----------



## Gabe'sMummy (Dec 4, 2008)

Re. the pee being sterile...etc. I too am not sure why you need to wash after a pee as nothing does get on your hands! BUT its part of when I was growing up. My mum was (is) a bit of an obsessive compulsive and she always told me how much dirt the toilet flush had on it which is why I always wash after using the bathroom!


----------



## Tizzy (Mar 16, 2007)

Maybe I just clean my bathroom more frequently than most? But I'm from the camp that is confused as to why you have to wash your hands if they're not dirty.

I wash after poopy diapers, if cooking/baking for company, if I'm doing something messy (bread dough, gardening) after coming in from the barn and coming home from a public place. Oh and after using a public washroom. THOSE places are icky.

I also teach my son to wash if his hands get dirty in the bathroom, after he eats - he's a toddler...every meal is messy...if he's playing with the dogs and they are dirty etc.

Oh I also wash my hands after petting the dogs because I can't stand smelly hands.

I'm comfortable with our own germs, just not EVERYONE elses.

FWIW those antibacterial soaps are activated by the chlorine in city water so for those of us in the country, they aren't overly useful. I've never bought the stuff, I don't think putting alcohol on my skin to be absorbed is healthy whatsoever anyway.

I don't consider myself to be a germaphobe, but I refuse to let my kids play in those public playplaces like at McDonalds (MIL can't figure out why I wont' take them to McD's in the first place lol!) I also wash toys every week and disinfect any used toys we get.


----------



## AFWife (Aug 30, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Little grey mare* 

I don't consider myself to be a germaphobe, but I refuse to let my kids play in those public playplaces like at McDonalds (MIL can't figure out why I wont' take them to McD's in the first place lol!) I also wash toys every week and disinfect any used toys we get.

I don't blame you on that one! Those places are gross all around. You know they can't properly clean inside those tubes!!!


----------



## BaBaBa (Jun 30, 2007)

I'm noticing reading this thread that there are two camps, the frequent and the 'less frequent' hand washers.

Both sides seem happy with their habit (or lack of one) and healthy with neither side feeling that they are ill more often due to their habits.

So...


----------

