I have to be honest and say I don’t know whether this is a great debate, but it’s certainly debatable.
Only in the last year or so (I’m 22) have I started to bother with washing my hands after using the washroom.
Yes, I know. Dirty.
But really, how many people do wash their hands?.
I’m male, and I can only cite personal experience, but many males simply do not wash their hands. It’s certainly one of those behaviours that just goes completely ‘out of the window’ after a few beers. Which is worse because you after a few beers, you tend to visit the washroom more regularly.
So I guess I’m interested in hearing opinions about whether people really do wash their hands very often. And I suppose the differences between sexes should probably be touched upon.
Looking back, the majority of the time I see men washing their hands it’s either because :
a) They wet their hands in order to touch up their hair.
b) They seem to do it simply because there is someone else occupying the washroom, and they don’t want to be seen as ‘dirty’ (ie. sometimes in public toilets).
I nearly always wash my hands, but what bugs me is that you then (in public toilets anyway) have to use the same handle to get out as thousands of others who DON’T wash thier hands!!
There’s some thinking that using a hot-air dryer to dry ones hands can make situations worse. I’ve heard that the heat can encourage bacteria to grow. Merely anecdotal, though.
But - those ‘share’ towels must be the worst - all those people who just put their hands under the water and don’t use soap and water, surely they’re sharing their bacteria?
Re: the handle thing - one of the worst feelings I have is from those who have washed their hands, but not dried them - and then open the door with wet hands. Now, I’m always willing to believe that a wet handle is attributable to a good washer, but just what if that residue is from a non-washer…ugh!
Re: the link - bejeezus. Urine, yes, I can see how that would transfer to pee-nuts (sic). But faeces? Yeowch.
Anyway, there isn’t really the feeling of a ‘debate’ here, after all. Thinking about it, I’m not sure that there is much difference between no’s of hand washers between all sections of society, sex/class/upbringing/age…there’s nothing that would immediately lead me to believe that any section would be better than any other.
Frankly, I think a good ol’ dose of germs every now and again strengthens the immune system! Heck, we exercise to make our muscles stronger…work out on the stairmaster to give us more stamina… why NOT give the immune system a job to do?!
On the other side of that argument, I work in a chemical company. We make products to kill germs and sanitize surfaces. We bring new-hire salespersons to our headquarters to learn about our products.
And yet, on a weekly basis, I pass those same students in the lavatory and observe them NOT washing their hands with OUR OWN PRODUCTS!
Since starting work here, I’m VERY careful about making sure my hands don’t go near my mouth, nose or ears after I’ve shaken hands!
Am I the first female to reply here? I certainly DO wash my hands, thank you very much, and so do most women I’ve observed.
I hate to stereotype, but this strikes me as one of the many perfectly sensible things guys refuse to do for mysterious Guy Reasons, along with using turn signals and asking for directions.
I am a single guy in my twenties. I live alone. I ALWAYS wash my hands. After much hunting, I found a store that sold the piece I needed to decorate my lavratory. On the inside of the door is posted a sign, “All employees must wash hands before returning to work.”
I always wash my hands too… even when I’m at home. I have also observed a lot of men who go into the bathroom and 10 seconds later they’re out. Noy you know that there’s no way they could’ve gone in that bathroom, took a piss, and washed their hands in that little bit of time. It’s a lot more disgusting if men don’t wash their hands because they have to actually hold their dick in their hand (with their fingers at least)… women have toilet paper as a barrier between fingers and koochie.
I confronted a restaurant a few weeks ago that had no soap in the ladies room. The kitchen worker was a woman, and I’m thinking “How the hell is she washing her hands?” The bar owner stammered a bit, then went next door to the CVS and got some liquid soap. I also asked what was up with the “community towel” they have in there. I personally use my pants, because God only knows what is on those towels. He shrugged that one off, but I’ll tell you one thing, I am NEVER eating there ever.
I wash my hands when I’m at work; at home, I sometimes go without a wash, because I’m not afraid of my own germs, just other people’s.
The best solution I’ve found for the dirty door handle dilemma is this: wash hands, take paper towel to dry with, while drying hands walk out door…using the paper towel to open the door. Dispose of the towel in a nearby trashcan or take it back to my desk and throw away there.
I wash my hands every time, at home or where ever, and I find women who don’t to be rather frightening. Since my brother says the same thing about men who don’t, I guess our opinions might be a matter of how we were toilet trained. I use Corrvin’s method some times too- particularly when shopping or out to eat.
At school we check hands of the kids using the bathrooms to make sure they’ve washed(just the ones who are trained, the rest we help wash their hands after diaper checks) because God knows they pass enough germs to each other -and to us- to begin with.
I wash my hands ALWAYS - to the point that most of the cooler months my hands are dry, red and cracked. Furthermore I always have washed after using the restroom, (except for occassionally in bars where the bathrooms seemed really gross) but since I began working in a restaurant my handwashing habits have become almost obsessive.
Ok, am I going to be the only one with enough balls around here to say it? No, I rarely wash my hands. I DO, however, make a point to “wash up” before eating and at home I wash whenever I am fixing up one of my son’s bottles. After the whole bathroom bit though, I usually just jet. I hate the nasty pink soap they have at work, plus it gives me a good incentive to not bite my nails (ewww). Truthfully, I think this has a lot more to do with the fact that I hate seeing anyone in a public restroom than with any aversion to hand-washing. I always try to time it so that I can dart out of my stall and out the door while everyone else is closed into a stall. I’ve been known to wait for up to ten minutes for a restroom to empty out before I slip out the door. I don’t know why I’m such a freak, really, but something about people who just listened to me pee seeing my face gives me the shudders.
(The preceding bizarre personal factoid has been brought to you by bella’s special brownie mix; do with it what you will)