# Reasons not to wash your hands **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2005, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307 "2005-11-09T23:47:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/21 "2005-11-11T01:42:37Z")
It is possible to take a piss without touching anything other than the front of your trousers and the zipper, how would washing your hands in a pulic toilet, which involves touching the tap and the dryer, improve your hygiene? ---
**Author:** ![Hostile\_Dialect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e495f1/32.png) [@Hostile\_Dialect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hostile_Dialect)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/22 "2005-11-11T02:53:46Z")
> [@1920s Style "Death Ray"](#): > > It is possible to take a piss without touching anything other than the front of your trousers and the zipper, how would washing your hands in a pulic toilet, which involves touching the tap and the dryer, improve your hygiene? All this “hands off” stuff seems a little out there to me. Does anyone here seriously just (a) undo the button, (b) undo the zipper, © let fly, (d) redo zipper, (e) redo button and then (f) leave? I can see a couple of problems with this, the least of which is that you don’t shake it off, an important part of any male urination ritual. The bigger problem is that, unless you’re going commando, you’re peeing down your leg. If you do touch your underpants–the only other logical alternative–now you’re touching something that’s been hugging (or at least lightly brushing) your penis all day. Now you might as well have grabbed on to that nasty door handle you’re so afraid of. So unless you go commando–and even then we’re leaving out the aiming and the shaking-off–this argument for dirtiness is a nonstarter. ---
**Author:** ![Schuyler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@Schuyler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schuyler)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/23 "2005-11-11T03:20:00Z")
Note: the Google ads have this one figured out: Hand spray, hand sanitizer, auto-foaming soap, and hand rub. Of course, it reminds me of the joke (the following version of which was found on [this site)](http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-35,GGLG:en&q=%22Jay+Smith+comes+home+from+his+first+day+working+as+a+waiter%22): > [@](#): > > Jay Smith comes home from his first day working as a waiter. He says to his wife, “What a clean joint I work in. We use tongs to pick up the ice cubes, tongs to pick up the rolls, tongs to pick up the napkins. They even have us tie a string to our dicks, so that when we have to take a leak we can just pull on the string to get our dicks out.” His wife says, “How do you get your dick back in your pants?” Jay says, “I don’t know about the other guys, but I use my tongs.” (I hope that this is an acceptable way to follow the 2-click rule, and also to attribute the source of the above joke.) ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/24 "2005-11-11T03:22:58Z")
> [@Schuyler](#): > > I think of shaking hands with someone - there’s a reason we don’t just grab each other’s penises or butts, but if you’ve not washed your hands after using the bathroom, that’s exactly what you’re asking of me when we shake. I don’t think I want to know you _quite_ that well. How about if I washed my penis earlier that day - assuming I didn’t transfer germs from my hands to my penis that I got off the doorknob on the way into that truck-stop bathroom? ---
**Author:** ![isolabella1961](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@isolabella1961](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/isolabella1961)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/25 "2005-11-11T03:29:54Z")
Believe me my stuff is cleaner than any bathroom,So why take the risk of getting my hands all germy.Vetbridge is right on the money ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/26 "2005-11-11T03:34:18Z")
I see it as a good idea to wash your hands a few times a day because of all the other germs we come in contact with on a daily basis. Bathroom time is a good time to do it. Plus, I rarely can go and wipe without some sort of contamination. It’s part of being a girl, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Schuyler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/54ee81/32.png) [@Schuyler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schuyler)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/27 "2005-11-11T03:42:01Z")
> [@buns3000](#): > > How about if I washed my penis earlier that day Well, why didn’t you say so? I’ve got no problem with that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/28 "2005-11-11T04:52:28Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I work in kitchens from time to time and I _ **always** _ follow this pattern of behaviour; simple reason being that I could wash my hands in the washroom, only to contaminate them again by touching the door handle on the way out - I return to the kitchen, then immediately wash and sanitise my hands in the dedicated handwashing basin _in the kitchen_. > Of course there may not be any such handwashing facilities in the truck stop you’re talking about (although it’s a legal requirement here). It’s a possibility I’ve considered, but I think it was unlikely in the case I described. Besides, why didn’t the cashier inform me of that if it was their routine, she watch me walk out and I’m sure she knew why, otherwise she would have questioned me about leaving. As to this issue of touching the faucets and door handle when leaving the bathroom, I think it’s way overblown. We come in contact w/ many things everyday that have the potential for passing microorganisms, money for example. Frequent hand washing is an excellent habit, but keeping your hands away from your face and mouth should be practiced also. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/29 "2005-11-11T07:13:19Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > All this “hands off” stuff seems a little out there to me. Does anyone here seriously just (a) undo the button, (b) undo the zipper, © let fly, (d) redo zipper, (e) redo button and then (f) leave? I can see a couple of problems with this, the least of which is that you don’t shake it off, an important part of any male urination ritual. The bigger problem is that, unless you’re going commando, you’re peeing down your leg. If you do touch your underpants–the only other logical alternative–now you’re touching something that’s been hugging (or at least lightly brushing) your penis all day. Now you might as well have grabbed on to that nasty door handle you’re so afraid of. > > So unless you go commando–and even then we’re leaving out the aiming and the shaking-off–this argument for dirtiness is a nonstarter. Aiming is not required at a urinal and shaking can be done by jiggling your pants a bit. (Shaking is over-rated anyway, doesn’t matter how much you shake, there is always one last drop.) ---
**Author:** ![zagloba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/977dab/32.png) [@zagloba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zagloba)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/30 "2005-11-11T08:07:47Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > Does anyone here seriously just (a) undo the button, (b) undo the zipper, © let fly, (d) redo zipper, (e) redo button and then (f) leave? I don’t know about you, but I use my spoon! ---
**Author:** ![BadBadger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BadBadger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BadBadger)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/31 "2005-11-11T09:06:55Z")
Sometimes I do, sometime I don’t. Here’s an example: i) take a piss ii) turn on tap (faucet), thereby putting germs on tap iii) wash hands. Turn off tap picking up germs again iv) dry hands by whatevers available v) open door, getting germs from guys who don’t wash. In an ideal world all would wash up, but they don’t and this isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Bill\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/32 "2005-11-11T19:34:30Z")
Since there’s plenty of TMI in this thread already, I’ll share as well. I frequently don’t wash my hands after I urinate. The main question is whether my penis is cleaner than anything I’m going to touch on my way out. If my penis is cleaner than the faucet handle, I don’t wash. If my penis is cleaner than the towel dispenser handle, I don’t dry. If my penis is cleaner than the door handle, I’ll grab some toilet paper / paper towels and open the door with the paper. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/33 "2005-11-11T20:20:23Z")
> [@fetus](#): > > I can see a couple of problems with this, the least of which is that you don’t shake it off, an important part of any male urination ritual. I haven’t had to shake off ever since I taught mine to go _sniff_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/34 "2005-11-11T22:54:28Z")
First of all, are any of you seriously ill or dead? I didn’t think so. Washing your hands \*is \* important. Doing so while you’re in the bathroom anyway, is a convenient time to do so. Your hands have more bacteria on them than your collective penis, or the door, or the faucet handles. Your hands are warm and moist, so they harbor bacteria for hours, even days if you don’t clean them off periodicly. Door handles, faucet taps, even counter tops do harbor bacteria and viruses, but only for an average of 2 to 6 hours. Of course, there are exceptions such as the Hepatitis virus. They die, because those surfaces are hard, dry (or should be) and cold. Bacteria are especially fragile in those conditions. Someone asked what your hands might harbor. 90% of cases of colds and flu are from touching something or someone, then touching your mouth or nose. Droplet spray from a sneeze only travels about a foot befor falling to the floor, a cough not even as far. Another example of what unwashed hands might carry is _E. Coli O157:H7_ it causes [Hemolytic-uremic syndrome](http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/casedef/hemolyticcurrent.htm) in children. You may remember an outbreak generated by Jack in the Box™ from under cooked meat. A little over half of the kids we treated had eaten there, the others were family members or shared daycare. As for reasons to NOT wash your hands? There are no GOOD reasons. Even soap sensitivities, eczema, or dry, cracked skin aren’t good reasons to not wash your hands. Use warm water, a small amount of soap, rub your hands together, vigorously for 15 seconds, then rinse well and dry well. Cracking and irritations come from using cold water, or not rinsing adequately. Most people that don’t wash, just don’t seem to believe in what they can’t see. If bacteria were the size of spiders, I doubt anyone would forget. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2005, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/35 "2005-11-11T23:29:06Z")
I know of no people that will go wash their hands after any of the following activities: Sneezing Blowing their nose Scratching their pit Picking their nose Rubbing their eyes Mining for earwax with a pinky Adjusting a shifted bra (for the ladies) Adjusting a pinched package (for the guys) Picking up their cat Getting licked by their dog Peeling gum off their shoe Typing on a keyboard So why the bathroom? Given the soupy morass of dirt and germs we live in constantly, it has always seemed weird that people are so hung up on one little aspect of cleanliness which probably pales in comparison to other sources of exposure in our lives that we take for granted. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ba8739/32.png) [@Bill\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/36 "2005-11-12T00:28:02Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > Your hands have more bacteria on them than your collective penis, or the door, or the faucet handles. The difference is that I’m immune to most of the bacteria on my hands. I’m immune to most of the bacteria in my mouth. I’m immune to most of the bacteria in my nose. I have no qualms about swallowing a cup full of my own disease-ridden, bacteria-laden saliva – but I’d recoil in horror if I had to swallow a thimbleful of someone else’s. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/37 "2005-11-12T00:53:33Z")
If there is no paper towels (just that wind machine), I won’t wash my hands. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/38 "2005-11-12T01:07:46Z")
Don’t people turn off the tap using paper towel, and open door using paper towel? Thereby not touching any part of the rest room with clean hands. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/39 "2005-11-12T02:54:41Z")
part of the problem is poorly designed bathrooms, public restrooms should have those big ass handles on the sink that you can turn on and off with your wrist or back of your hand, paper towels and doors that swing out without a knob. instead they seem to be laid out to spread germs around as much as possible. and if you wash your hands then touch dirty stuff you are picking up significantly fewer germs because you have recently washed the oils that bind with them off. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2005, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307/40 "2005-11-12T03:17:02Z")
> [@Critical1](#): > > public restrooms should have those big ass handles on the sink that you can turn on and off with your wrist or back of your hand, paper towels and doors that swing out without a knob. instead they seem to be laid out to spread germs around as much as possible. If there were evidence that the lack of these features is actually causing meaningful amounts of disease to spread, you’d have a good case. But in most of these discussions, little or no such evidence is ever presented. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasons-not-to-wash-your-hands/330307.md?page=3)