# Are you sure you washed your hands? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 6, 2001, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763 "2001-11-06T11:52:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![OneChance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/74df32/32.png) [@OneChance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneChance)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/21 "2001-11-08T04:25:00Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Izzardesque_ > **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!!** I get around this by wrapping my hand around a paper towel. But I read somewhere that the door handle is one of the cleanest parts of the bathroom. I think it may be because bacteria can’t live too long on the metal. Anyway, I always wash my hands, for as long as I can remember. I hate the argument, “But I didn’t touch it,” or, “I didn’t pee on my hands.” Still, not washing is gross. When you pee, it tends to splash. You might get tiny droplets flying around. What’s to say some of those droplets aren’t landing on your hands and you just don’t notice? Gotta wash… always. ---
**Author:** ![naughtysiggie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c4cdca/32.png) [@naughtysiggie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naughtysiggie)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/22 "2001-11-08T10:22:08Z")
I wash my hands if it’s not at night while I’m sleeping. Otherwise, I generally wash. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/23 "2001-11-08T10:35:14Z")
I wash my hands unless: The next thing I’m going to do will be taking a shower I’m alone in the apartment and the next on my to-do list is taking a nap ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/24 "2001-11-08T19:04:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fretful Porpentine \* > \*\*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. \*\* Oh, great. Some wanton man-bashing for the sake of it. Yep, thanks for your contribution to the fight against ignorance. Now shall we have a nice discussion about how crap women are with mechanical objects, and why they can’t drive for shit, and why they can never really hold down senior management positions as well as a man would…? Yuk. Just in case you event want to grow up and play with the adults, FP, some news for you: stereotyping is ugly, from any source and in any direction. It’s insulting, and doesn’t win friends. I’m a man, and I know for certain that my washing and other personal hygiene standards are a whole lot higher than those of many women I have known. And I use turn signals. And if I’m lost, I ask for directions if that’s gonna help. So do a billion other guys. I guess you see what you want to see, and keep those ignorant prejudices nice and cosy inside your head. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/25 "2001-11-08T19:59:06Z")
Well, I’m afraid all I can say in my defense is that I meant it lightheartedly, and it was not my intention to insult anybody. I personally am not offended by remarks about women in a similar vein (heck, the stereotypes wouldn’t _exist_ if they had no basis in fact – which is not to say they apply across the board). If anything I said came across as genuinely offensive, I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/26 "2001-11-08T22:25:43Z")
Sorry, **Fretful**. I was over the top by a couple of miles, and I apologise for that. I shouldn’t have over-reacted to your comments. It’s been a yukky day in some ways and I guess you caught some of the fallout. Peace. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2001, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/27 "2001-11-08T22:39:56Z")
Not washing your hands after going to the restroom is disgusting. And like Cecil said, it isn’t that you may have pee or poo on your hands, it’s the freaking BACTERIA! It makes me ill to think of the people who don’t wash their hands afterwards… gah!!! If I find out that you don’t wash, you do drop to somewhere around “pond scum” on my “rank this person” scale, especially in relation to ever meeting you in person. My son always washes his hands. In fact, he usually comes out of the bathroom and has both me and his father smell them to smell the soapy clean smell. I’m very proud of this 🙂 Once, he came out of a restaurant bathroom almost in tears, and dragged my husband back with him. He was traumatized because he couldn’t reach the soap dispenser on his own. That’s my boy! ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/28 "2001-11-09T06:48:37Z")
Living in the international dorm has plenty of drawbacks. The main one being the foreign students reluctance to use water. I’m guessing this is because water is expensive in their country (or they just have poor hygeine) so they don’t use it much. They don’t shower every day, this isn’t a problem if you don’t smell. However, I consider it common courtesy to freshen up a bit if you’re going to be going to the gym three or four times a week. This also carries over to their hand washing habits. I’ll be washing my hands and in walks student, they use the facilities, and out they go as I’m drying my hands. Yuck. I prefer not to think about how I have to use the same dining hall, open the same doors, use the same keyboards, etc. as they do. It makes my day a little more bearable. ---
**Author:** ![breaknrun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbce88/32.png) [@breaknrun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/breaknrun)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763/29 "2001-11-09T17:10:58Z")
Compulsive hand-washer checking in. I use paper towels to turn the faucet handle and open the door also. Can’t stand it any other way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-you-sure-you-washed-your-hands/91763.md?page=1)