# To the woman down the hall who's "allergic" to the soap in the ladies' room... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 11, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678 "2004-05-11T19:38:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/1 "2004-05-11T19:38:09Z")
… bring in your _own_ fucking soap then! And _use it_ FFS! I used to get sick about once every two years, now it’s my third time in seven months and on _every single occasion_ when I realise I’m coming down with something, along comes Typhoid Linda down the hall sneezing and sniffling to let me know exactly who I caught this lovely bug from. I’ve tried to minimise my touching anything with my bare hands that she might have touched ever since I learned the extent of her hygiene problem, but face it, when somebody’s determined to spread their germs all over the place it’s damn near impossible to avoid them completely. Don’t understand how any adult in this day and age can have so little grasp of such a basic concept of cleanliness :mad: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/2 "2004-05-11T19:40:43Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > … bring in your _own_ fucking soap then! And _use it_ FFS! > > I used to get sick about once every two years, now it’s my third time in seven months and on _every single occasion_ when I realise I’m coming down with something, along comes Typhoid Linda down the hall sneezing and sniffling to let me know exactly who I caught this lovely bug from. I’ve tried to minimise my touching anything with my bare hands that she might have touched ever since I learned the extent of her hygiene problem, but face it, when somebody’s determined to spread their germs all over the place it’s damn near impossible to avoid them completely. > > Don’t understand how any adult in this day and age can have so little grasp of such a basic concept of cleanliness :mad: Buy a bottle of hand sanitizer and leave it in the bathroom. (By the way, three colds in seven months? You may want to see a doctor about that. I haven’t had a cold in over 10 years, and I work for a huge company with lots of non-hand-washers…) ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/3 "2004-05-11T19:58:02Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > Buy a bottle of hand sanitizer and leave it in the bathroom. I may just do that, but I don’t think she’d use it. I think this so-called “allergy” is really just her excuse for being a filthy cow. > [@](#): > > (By the way, three colds in seven months? You may want to see a doctor about that. I haven’t had a cold in over 10 years, and I work for a huge company with lots of non-hand-washers…) I have recently had a physical examination and I’m fine, thanks. You on the other hand are obviously a freak 😃 ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/4 "2004-05-11T20:12:18Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > I think this so-called “allergy” is really just her excuse for being a filthy cow. Woah, that’s pretty mean. Maybe there’s more to this story that you’ve not shared yet. But if you’re this worked up simply because she doesn’t scrub her hands after taking a piss then I think you’re being a bit overdramatic. Besides which, have you been officially appointed the grand poobah of hand-washing compliance? What’s it to you if she doesn’t do it? Apparently hand-washing isn’t the be-all, end-all of health if you do it yourself and are still catching sick so often. As to the sanitizer–forget the bathroom and keep it at your own desk. Then you can obsessively sanitize yourself whenever this filthy cow breaths in the same room as you and hopefully sleep a little better at night. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/5 "2004-05-11T20:25:59Z")
> [@belladonna](#): > > What’s it to you if she doesn’t do it? What’s it to me if someone who’s sneezing and coughing all day doesn’t wash her hands when she’s touching the same door handles, taps and equipment that I have to touch? I can’t really believe I’m being asked that question. Was germ theory discarded when I wasn’t paying attention 😕 ---
**Author:** ![GaWd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f08c70/32.png) [@GaWd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaWd)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/6 "2004-05-11T21:29:44Z")
ruadh, I gotta agree with the poster above. Pay attention to this: > [@](#): > > As to the sanitizer–forget the bathroom and keep it at your own desk. Then you can obsessively sanitize yourself whenever this filthy cow breaths in the same room as you and hopefully sleep a little better at night. You can’t change her ways. Not only is it rude, but it is equally as unprofessional as her not washing her hands. Clean yourself, disinfect everything around her that she touches and maybe you’ll feel better. Honestly though, pissing isn’t what’s making you ill, her having a cold is. So if you want to make a difference, you’d have to talk her into washing her hand everytime she sneezes, not everytime she pisses. And then you’d have to expand that company-wide to really make a difference. Sam ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/7 "2004-05-11T21:30:50Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > Was germ theory discarded when I wasn’t paying attention 😕 Why yes, didn’t you know? We now subscribe to “witches conjuring evil spirits” theory. Fuck the soap! Just leave a four-leaf clover and a sow’s heart on the filthy cow’s desk, and keep a shiny penny in your shoe. Very effective. Guaranteed it will make her go away. Especially the sow’s heart. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/8 "2004-05-11T21:31:28Z")
**Gawd** : When did I say anything about pissing? ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/9 "2004-05-11T22:22:22Z")
When I saw the thread title, it honestly didn’t occur to me that it meant she wasn’t using the soap. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/10 "2004-05-11T22:58:44Z")
I don’t know if the OP is getting more colds because of this woman’s unwillingness to wash her hands. However, I cannot fathom how someone could _not_ find a way to wash their hands after urinating. I mean, _ewwwwww_. If I were in that position, where I knew that I couldn’t use the soap at work, I’d bring my own soap. Seriously. There is no way that I’m not washing up after peeing. And taking away the concerns about everyone else for a moment—it’s just too icky to contemplate not doing it for _myself._ Eating with those germy hands? Touching my face? No thank you. That’s really nasty. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/11 "2004-05-11T23:24:50Z")
> **[Why are men supposed to wash their hands after urination? Plus: urine therapy!](https://www.straightdope.com/21342195/why-are-men-supposed-to-wash-their-hands-after-urination-plus-urine-therapy)** > > Dear Cecil: > First, an (elderly) joke. > A Harvard man and a Yale man are at the urinal. They finish and zip up. The Harvard man proceeds to the sink to wash his hands, while the Yale man immediately... It’s pretty common (though apparently completely misguided) for men to feel it unnescessary. Somehow it naturally feels worse to not wash after you’ve been dabbing at excrement of some sort with a thin tissue than if you just touch the skin, but according to the straightdope, it shouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/12 "2004-05-11T23:47:37Z")
She might actually BE allergic to the soap. A Kroger I stopped at had foofy smelling Lifeguard soap in the men’s dispenser, which I discovered only after I started lathering up my hands/smelling like a French whore. I spent the rest of the day itching. Which doesn’t excuse her not bringing soap and washing her hands. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/13 "2004-05-12T00:00:56Z")
> [@GMRyujin](#): > > She might actually BE allergic to the soap. A Kroger I stopped at had foofy smelling Lifeguard soap in the men’s dispenser, which I discovered only after I started lathering up my hands/smelling like a French whore. I spent the rest of the day itching. > > Which doesn’t excuse her not bringing soap and washing her hands. Yeah, I’m wickedly allergic to fragrance. There’s been some soaps that would make my hands blister and the skin peal off in chunks! But sure as shootin’ I bring my own if I think I might need to! (Luckily, most of the time, like at work etc., I’m fine. It seems that it’s hotels that have the really brutal stuff.) Hey, remember the days when soap dispensers were kind of like grinder? You’d turn a knob or a handle on the side and powered soap would come out of the bottom, kind like a pepper mill. ---
**Author:** ![belladonna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9fc29f/32.png) [@belladonna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/belladonna)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/14 "2004-05-12T00:26:04Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > **Gawd** : When did I say anything about pissing? It was the reference to the “ladies room” in the title. I certainly assumed that you were referring to those times she’s in the ladies room, or pissing, as it were. But now I see you meant that she should be regularly washing her hands because she is sick. In which case I stand by my original comment. Get yourself some sanitizer and take care of it on your end. Expecting other people to accomodate you in something you could easily take care of yourself rarely leads to anything but frustration and resentment. Save yourself the trouble. ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/15 "2004-05-12T01:16:58Z")
Lucky you. You’ve come down with colds, but luckily you’ve avoided Shigellosis. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/16 "2004-05-12T03:05:18Z")
Shigewhat? Anyway, the hand sanitizer at your desk is a good idea, but what you should do is this. Bring a bottle of spray disinfectant to work, and then make an obvious show of spraying and wiping down doorknobs, desks, and equipment that she touches. Maybe Typhoid Linda will get the message then. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/17 "2004-05-12T03:20:09Z")
I did a search to see what it was. :eek: [Shigellosis](http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/shigellosis_g.htm#What%20is%20shigellosis) ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/18 "2004-05-12T03:54:19Z")
> [@ruadh](#): > > What’s it to me if someone who’s sneezing and coughing all day doesn’t wash her hands when she’s touching the same door handles, taps and equipment that I have to touch? I can’t really believe I’m being asked that question. > > Was germ theory discarded when I wasn’t paying attention 😕 Geez, do you get to work in a plastic bubble? Go shopping in a plastic bubble? Never eat in a restaurant? Never sleep in a hotel bed? If the woman is sneezing and coughing because of allergies, she’s not going to “infect” you even if she spit into your soda pop! If you’re so concerned about what may be on your hands from other people, simply wash them before you go to the bathroom and before you eat, rather than just afterwards. Washing before you touch your private parts and before you handle food is actually the best way to avoid contagion. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/19 "2004-05-12T04:37:10Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > Hey, remember the days when soap dispensers were kind of like grinder? You’d turn a knob or a handle on the side and powered soap would come out of the bottom, kind like a pepper mill. I remember that stuff! They had it in my elementary school. They also had those cool sinks that were circular (so about 10 people could wash their hands at the same time) in the middle of the bathroom, and you turned on the water by pressing down on a lever with your foot. Those were cool. Oh, and the OP should use some of that hand santizer his/herself. You can’t control the world buddy. You can, however, control your immediate environment (well, mostly). You gotta do what you can. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2004, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678/20 "2004-05-12T06:13:08Z")
> [@Cillasi](#): > > If the woman is sneezing and coughing because of allergies, she’s not going to “infect” you even if she spit into your soda pop! Allergies? Where the fuck did that come from? She has a cold, not allergies. > [@](#): > > If you’re so concerned about what may be on your hands from other people, simply wash them before you go to the bathroom and before you eat, rather than just afterwards. I do. As do many of the other women on the floor, now. It doesn’t excuse her utter lack of consideration for us. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-the-woman-down-the-hall-whos-allergic-to-the-soap-in-the-ladies-room/244678.md?page=2)