# Why do we wash our hands after going to the bathroom? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 30, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130 "2010-06-30T22:28:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gallan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ee59a6/32.png) [@gallan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/1 "2010-06-30T22:28:57Z")
Seriously, why is hand-washing after using the bathroom such a big deal? I’m not in the habit of getting urine or poop on my hands (and urine is sterile, isn’t it?). My crotch isn’t any less sanitary than my arm pits or my feet, yet nobody demands that we wash our hands after applying deodorant or removing our socks at the end of the day. The surfaces within the bathroom are used far less than the hand rail of the staircase or the button on the copy machine or even the front door of the office, yet we aren’t required to wash our hands after touching any of those surfaces. I distinctly remember an experiment that we did in my high school science class where we walked around the school and took samples of different surfaces to see which ones had the most germs. In every case, samples taken from the bathroom always had fewer germs than samples taken elsewhere. I also remember an episode of Mythbuster’s where they were trying to figure out how much fecal matter accumulates on a toothbrush in the bathroom. As a control, they placed a second toothbrush in a jar, far away from any bathrooms. At the end of the experiment, the toothbrush from the jar had just as much fecal matter as the toothbrush from the bathroom (a minuscule amount), showing that fecal matter isn’t somehow accumulating on bathroom surfaces. Does anyone know the answer? Perhaps references to studies that show that people who wash their hands are healthier than those who don’t? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/2 "2010-06-30T22:36:26Z")
[The Master speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1043/why-are-men-supposed-to-wash-their-hands-after-urination) ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/3 "2010-06-30T22:55:59Z")
I asked my doctor this very question and he said because it forces us to wash our hands at least 3-4 times a day. We are exposed to germs all the time… and our hands tend to touch our faces a lot. So by washing our hands frequently we are reducing the chances of transmitting disease to ourselves. That reason made sense to me so I got into the habit of doing it. YMMV ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/4 "2010-07-01T00:58:29Z")
If you are a chemist, you wash your hands before you go. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/5 "2010-07-01T01:05:36Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > I asked my doctor this very question and he said because it forces us to wash our hands at least 3-4 times a day. We are exposed to germs all the time… and our hands tend to touch our faces a lot. So by washing our hands frequently we are reducing the chances of transmitting disease to ourselves. That reason made sense to me so I got into the habit of doing it. YMMV Of course, by washing your hands first, you’re spreading diseases to your willy (if you’re a boy) instead of keeping them contained to your hands and face. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/6 "2010-07-01T01:27:29Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > If you are a chemist, you wash your hands before you go. Or if you cook with habaneros. Unless you’ve already gotten past that barrier already and certain parts are almost as numb to capsaicin as your taste buds :eek: Not that I’m referring to anyone there…🆒 ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/7 "2010-07-01T02:26:01Z")
> [@Sage\_Rat](#): > > Of course, by washing your hands first, you’re spreading diseases to your willy (if you’re a boy) instead of keeping them contained to your hands and face. Umm, no, just the opposite. Washing your hands _before_ you urinate makes for clean hands on your penis. The Op is sort of right. Other than your Momma teaching you that your “private parts” are “dirty”, your hands do not get dirty from touching your penis. They _do_ get dirty from wiping your ass, unless you are wearing gloves or are perfect. But washing your hands _is_ a Good Idea. As **dolphinboy** sez, you wash your hands in the bathroom when you urinate as you are already there, and it’s a convenient time. I usually wash before I urinate, and after I defecate. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/8 "2010-07-01T02:28:11Z")
What I’d like to know is why some people _don’t_ wash after going to the bathroom. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/9 "2010-07-01T02:35:17Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Or if you cook with habaneros. Unless you’ve already gotten past that barrier already and certain parts are almost as numb to capsaicin as your taste buds :eek: > > Not that I’m referring to anyone there…🆒 I did that once: diced a habanero pepper then went #1. My willie stung for about 2 days, even after intense showering. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/10 "2010-07-01T03:29:26Z")
> [@AWB](#): > > I did that once: diced a habanero pepper then went #1. My willie stung for about 2 days, even after intense showering. Should have used milk. Just soap and water won’t do anything for capsicum. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/11 "2010-07-01T03:39:00Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Umm, no, just the opposite. It was a typo. I meant to say “after”. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/12 "2010-07-01T03:54:55Z")
\*\*Why do we wash our hands after going to the bathroom? \*\* The actual, practical, reason to encourage washing hands after going to the bathroom is that going to the bathroom is something that everyone does a couple times per day. If you want to prevent the spread of any disease the best place to start is with regular hand washing. So if everyone washes their hands after going to the bathroom, then at least people are washing a couple times per day. It doesn’t really matter why. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/13 "2010-07-01T04:58:49Z")
The next time you touch anything in a public restroom (toilet seat, toilet flush handle, urinal flush handle, sink hardware, towel hardware, door handle, stall handle, etc.) think of 2 facts: 1. These things are probably never cleaned. 2. You have no idea what was on the hands of people who had previously used it. Does that answer your question? ---
**Author:** ![wwworldclique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bcef8e/32.png) [@wwworldclique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wwworldclique)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/14 "2010-07-01T04:59:44Z")
> [@gallan](#): > > I’m not in the habit of getting urine or poop on my hands (and urine is sterile, isn’t it?). But a lot of ppl ARE in the habit of doing that, and a lot more are in the habit of not making sure that whatever viruses they have are contained to themselves. So we need to make it “good practice” so that those people are _reminded_ to do that. ---
**Author:** ![SmithCommaJohn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@SmithCommaJohn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmithCommaJohn)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/15 "2010-07-01T05:21:17Z")
because gross ---
**Author:** ![dnooman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/839c29/32.png) [@dnooman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dnooman)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/16 "2010-07-01T07:22:20Z")
Correct me if I’m wrong here, but isn’t a general hand washing protocol usefull for keeping the spread of E. Coli., fecal coliform, and Giardia at bay? Surely it can’t be a bad practice, so why not? I’m one of those people that thinks that _limited_ exposure to certain bacteria and other such things is a possibly good thing, given the immune system learns from and can defend against future attacks. That said, poo in my food from a person that doesn’t believe in hand washing, could very well make me quite sick. I’d be interested to see what happens with other countries where they use water and their hands to wash off feces, is there a measured disease correlation? If I were to answer the OP in short, I’d say that fecal matter can make people sick, if not kill them. That seems reason enough to me for a tradition of hand washing. On a side note… I’ve always found it curious when a woman gets disgusted when a guy pees and doesn’t wash his hands, yet the same woman will take a penis into her mouth with no washing whatsoever. Not a complaint by any means, just a cultural oddity. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/17 "2010-07-01T08:53:16Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > I’d be interested to see what happens with other countries where they use water and their hands to wash off feces, is there a measured disease correlation? > . In those countries, it’s always done with the left hand, and it’s the reason why they only use their right hand to eat or shake hands. The left hand is the dirty one used for vile stuff, and the right the good hand used socially. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/18 "2010-07-01T11:22:53Z")
Here’s the deal: You can’t avoid germs, Cecil’s post to the contrary. He was doing good in his post until he forgot to mention that there isn’t any proof whatsoever that washing of hands actually keeps the average person any healthier. There are, on the other hand, a number of studies suggesting a dirtier environment is healthier for kids. Raise a kid in a totally sterile environment and you’ve got yourself one feeble immune system, ready to croak from the first germ that gets through. Now the hooker is that there are some pathogenic germs out there, the transmission of which will be diminished by good hygiene. Among the elements of good hygiene is hand-washing, but most people are lousy at it, and frankly it doesn’t do much good by itself. Take a poopie, get up, fix your trou and your belt and then wash your hands…you’re a walking fomite for reinfecting yourself after you wash your hands. So is the door handle and… etc etc I don’t want to touch you after you’ve wiped your backside or played with your twig and berries (whether for pleasure or for p) but honestly, it’s mostly a learned grossness and not a clinical thing when you get right down to it. I don’t like shaking your hand after you’ve picked your nose and before you’ve rolled it up, either. But I’ve seen monkeys share boogers as treats (I think; I may have imagined that). Germs, and even pretty pathogenic ones, are everywhere. In some meningitis outbreaks, perhaps a third or half of a population has meningococcus in their nasal cavity, and yet only a tiny fraction crump from it. At an individual level, your immune system is much more important than your germ exposure. In general, decent hygiene and sewer systems have kept the developed world healthier than the filthier world, with fewer outbreaks, much less parasitic load, and so on. But most of that is large-scale stuff like public sanitation and clean drinking water and proper food handling–and less about washing coliforms post-elimination. Still, if you don’t wash your hands often, don’t touch me, OK? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/19 "2010-07-01T13:37:02Z")
I refuse to do things for no reason. However, the reasoning of “You’re in there, so wash your hands anyway, just because” makes perfect sense to me - this way I’m washing my hands several times a day. ---
**Author:** ![gallan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ee59a6/32.png) [@gallan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallan)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130/20 "2010-07-01T15:51:01Z")
I fully agree that hand-washing is an integral part of avoiding the spread of germs, and for the record, I always wash my hands after I use the bathroom. I’ve just always wondered why. I’ve never bought into the idea that my hands are somehow dirtier after I’ve used the bathroom, or that the bathroom is a less sanitary place than any other common area. You can’t convince me that the buttons on the elevator at work, which are literally touched by hundreds of people a day, are more sanitary than the surfaces of the bathroom. > [@dolphinboy](#): > > I asked my doctor this very question and he said because it forces us to wash our hands at least 3-4 times a day. We are exposed to germs all the time… and our hands tend to touch our faces a lot. So by washing our hands frequently we are reducing the chances of transmitting disease to ourselves. That reason made sense to me so I got into the habit of doing it. YMMV This makes perfect sense to me! I hadn’t really considered it a convenience thing. Thanks! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-we-wash-our-hands-after-going-to-the-bathroom/545130.md?page=2)