Did you wash your hands?

[Husar]

Well, did ya?

I think I'm kind of an overwasher myself, I wash my hands too often and have to learn to cut it down to when it really is necessary(though I don't wash them as long as the website suggests if you make the handwash test).

So, who are you?

[Beirut]

I do a lot of the cooking in the house so I do wash/rinse quite a bit.

A side note: my buddy was in the hospital yesterday for a hernia checkup and said there was a security guard at the door who makes you wash your hands with disinfectant before you're allowed in the hospital, and in the hospital itself, there are disinfectant lotion stations every twenty-five feet on the walls. It's to try and cut out a very nasty bug called C. Difficile that causes horrid intestinal problems and has killed several people. It's rampant in Quebec hospitals. So hand washing in Quebec is a big thing right now. Every public place has a bottle of disinfectant lotion for people to use on the way in and out.

[CrossLOPER]

Out of the 30 or so people on my dorm hall, only five wash their hands. They do a lot of showering though.

[Gregoshi]

Since I reached my early 40s certain parts of a few fingers would go through a cycle of forming small "blisters" (for lack of a better term) and then the skin would crack open (ouch!) and eventually heal. After a couple of years of this I finally went to a dermatologist to find out what was going on. After looking at my fingers and asking some questions about my handwashing habits, he told me I wash them too much.* Too much? Was that possible? I guess it stemmed from working in a restaurant during my late teens. I was very conscious of having clean hands while handling food and I guess the habit stuck. It is terrible, as I had to started wearing rubber or latex gloves whenever I knew I'd be in a situation where my hands would go through several wet/dry cycles in a short period of time...cooking, hand washing dishes, cleaning, etc. Yellow rubber gloves are just not the fashion statement I want to make.


* to add to the trama of this dermatologist visit, my other complaint was with the skin in the corners of my mouth kept splitting open (double ouch). Dr. Feelgood tells me that that is causes by me drooling in my sleep. I wash my hands too much and I drool in my sleep...my self-esteem was pretty low walking out of the doctor's office.

[Geoffrey S]

You know, it's funny you should mention that. My hands have have been showing just that problem over the last few months and I was wondering what was causing it; I figured I might not be drying my hands properly after washing or something, but it could have something to do with doing a lot more washing up and plenty of sports in and around water. Interesting!

[Alexanderofmacedon]

I'm the one who makes sure to not touch anything if possible so that I don't have to wash my hands. Heh...

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

I used to wash my hands all the time. Not because of work or anything, but because I was paranoid.



Now I wash them fairly normally, however.

[CountArach]

I wash my hands all the time. Mainly because I have very sweaty palms and they get muggy if I don't.

[Zalmoxis]

I wash my hands a lot; everytime I come into the house, after I eat, and sometimes at random.

[Csargo]

I wash my hands normally before lunch, dinner, etc.

[Beren Son Of Barahi]

Since I reached my early 40s certain parts of a few fingers would go through a cycle of forming small "blisters" (for lack of a better term) and then the skin would crack open (ouch!) and eventually heal. After a couple of years of this I finally went to a dermatologist to find out what was going on. After looking at my fingers and asking some questions about my handwashing habits, he told me I wash them too much.* Too much?

O.C.D?

[Sigurd]

I wash mine after every toilet visit, every time before touching food and every time my hands get dirty (paint, oil, dirt etc)

I guess I am covered.
I even use moisturiser (some form of hand creem).
In my youth I worked in our national postal service. I handled lots of paper everyday and my hands were like what Gregoshi descibes.
My co-workers suggested teat fat… the same that farmers use on the udders of cows. I didn’t get just that but got a fat hand cream from the pharmacist. It worked wonders and the dryness and hurting cracks in the hand surface disappeared after only days. I still use moisturiser and it keeps my hands soft.

[Gregoshi]

O.C.D?

That is over my head Beren. What is "O.C.D."?

[drone]

That is over my head Beren. What is "O.C.D."?

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

[Gregoshi]

Thanks drone. It could be a slight case of OCD. I don't have to go running for the sink the moment a spot of dirt appears on my hands...but once the dirty job is complete, I do prefer clean hands.

[Samurai Waki]

I am O.C.D. about keeping myself clean. I wash until my hands get blisters, I have germaphobia, which is horrible... because I have two little girls that get sick, I can't stand it when someone sneezes near me. I used to even hate going into public places in fear of getting sick, but I've gotten over it since then... I still have trouble with restraunts though.

[drone]

Just wait until your two little girls start interacting with other little girls and boys. It doesn't matter how much you wash, you are going to get some nasty stuff from them. Worst. Germ-carrying vectors. Ever.

[Hepcat]

I just wash my hands at the usual times (before meals and after going to the toilet) and after work.

However my youngest brother doesn't wash his hands AT ALL! I find that revolting and never accept food from him if he has handled it.

[BDC]

I just wash my hands at the usual times (before meals and after going to the toilet) and after work.

However my youngest brother doesn't wash his hands AT ALL! I find that revolting and never accept food from him if he has handled it.

It's probably ok if you're healthy... Better to get immunity now than when you're ill!

Hospitals have issues because of all the ill people on antibiotics. You give an ill person antibiotics, then they massive infections from anything immune (C Difficile, MRSA) that suddenly has no competition keeping it in check. Fun times.

[The Stranger]

i wash my hands dozen of times a day... i dont like it when my hands are dirty :P

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I wash too much, my left hand is a bit dry at the moment, it goes through cycles, I started wearing gloves when washing up because the liquid tends to irritate your skin. That's brought it right down. It's also worse in the winter.

[Kanamori]

Umm... yes, whenever I use the room, or need my hands clean...

[Bijo]

Peh, I don't wash my hands that many times a day. Only when it's necessary, which are the usual cases like Hepcat mentioned. Right now there's dirt under my nails, even though I washed my hands... you'd expect the dirt thereunder to be gone, but it ain't and it doesn't bother me.

Washing until you get blisters, or other kinds of stuff, sounds nasty. Hrr, I ain't never gonna do that. The only wound or something like that I get on hands is from opening beer bottles with my right hand. Sometimes the harsh iron cuts me when I turn the lid :P and even then I'd continue doing that ON the wound... feels great

[Husar]

It's also worse in the winter.

Oh, my hands can develop all kinds of strange colours during winter.
Lately they stick to red but I've seen shades of yellow etc. which was very weird, and the skin starts to crack, I try to use handcream and keep them relatively warm when I'm outside, which helps a bit.