Your roommate is disgusting

Yes. Wash my hands:

• after every toilet use
• after I come in from outside
• before I eat
• after I eat
• before I sit down at my desk and touch my mouse and keyboard
• before I start playing a game with my controller(s)
• edit: oh and before/after seksytime, both with myself and the wife

So Penn & Teller used to do a show called Bullshit where they would investigate things and explain why the "common knowledge" on them was, well, bullshit.

In the episode on handwashing, they took samples from people's hands, faces, and groins before and after using the bathroom. They came to the conclusion that the before/after on hands was negligible, because most people's groins are under multiple layers of protection and don't get exposed to germs.

What they didn't bring up in the show is that that's not why you wash your hands when you're in the bathroom. It doesn't matter if your asshole is downright sterile, because it's everything else in the world that is filthy. You wash your hands when you're in the bathroom because you should be washing your hands regularly throughout the day and it's easiest to do when you're already in the room with the soap and running water. It's got very little to do with anything else you may be doing in the bathroom.

Yes. Even at home. Poo particles everywhere, especially on the flusher.

Take a minute, wash your hands, smile in the mirror to make sure nothing is in your teeth. Straighten yourself up and walk out of that bathroom with your head held high. You deserve it.

How can people not wash after every trip to the restroom? I find it disgusting if I don't do it, so you can imagine how I feel about others not doing it.

I regret opening this thread and this completly validates me using anything but my bare hands to grab door handles.

Of course. I am shocked people don't. But it's not entirely the act of peeing, it's the fact a sink and soap are right there. It's a good idea to wash your hands occasionally, so how about now?

yes, of course. no exceptions. kind of disgusted by all the people in the comments admitting they don't??? also your roommate reminds me of a roommate i used to have whom i despised and one of the reasons for that being her horrible hygiene. she admitted to pissing in our single private shower, which was shared amongst us (i had 2 roommates, so the 3 of us), and then after that called me germophobic for suggesting the idea that a shower/tub needs to be cleaned weekly???? also kept leaving piss in the toilet and never took out the trash. dont even get me started

Yes. Especially at work, especially before taking a piss. See, the break room has free snacks, including hot chips. I've yet to make the mistake of neglecting to double wash my hands but the fear of god and caspaicin is within me.

Even if I'm in a hurry, I splash them in water with a squirt of soap and quick scrub. I touch keyboards all day and my hands need to be cleaned. Never mind when I physically worked with IT equipment.

LIFEHACK: do both at once by pissing in your hands! it's environmentally friendly!!!

Yup. Wash your hands with soap four times daily and you reduce your chance of catching a surface-borne disease by 80%

I work in a hospital and one Christmas I brought home gastric 'flu with me... that wasn't a wonderful Yuletide for anyone.

When in public:

Push door open (usually with elbow) Do business Extract paper towel, but do not grab them... Wash hands Get paper towel that has been dangling and begin to dry hands Use paper towel to get more paper towels (not touching the paper towel dispenser mechanism with skin, using the used ppr towel) Use new paper towel to secure the soiled one, and complete doing my hands, and turn off the water... Use paper towel once more to open the door out of the bathroom

He really should stop being lazy and wash his hands. While feces is much more dangerous than what’s likely hanging out on his junk, there’s still plenty of transmissible nastiness that he’s leaving everywhere.

But if he’s not going to change his behavior, you can mitigate by turning off the taps and handling the bathroom doorknob with a paper tissue if you use tissues to dry your hands (although I think this is common mostly in public washrooms). The overwashing you’re doing to compensate for his underwashing is not good for your hands.

The unfortunate truth is that most people are gross as hell. A huge number of people don't wash after peeing. Ive come across some who don't even wash after poop (confronted a person once and they said that they only touch toilet paper so it's not like their hands are contaminated). Once you're in common spaces, you will obviously have to touch the same things as these people. There have been swab and culture studies that show fecal bacteria on a lot of touch surfaces. There will even be fecal bacteria on your toothbrush from being in a toilet with aerosol toilet water with every flush. It is gross, but our immune systems handle this environmental contamination really well without OCD cleaning habits needed.

Some points for others:

1. You might think your genitals are "clean" but you wouldn't want to touch any random person's clean genitals. Your hands are going to touch common surfaces. Wash them as courtesy (the same courtesy you would want from others).

2. Washing isn't about bacteria contamination. Pee has no bacteria on it but it would still be gross to be splashed by it. Hygiene gets rid of gross/ick things and it's worth washing what you would expect others to wash.

3. There's huge personal world-view at play here for each individual. Many wouldn't put up with the inconvenience of wearing masks to protect others from COVID at inconvenience to themselves. Unfortunately this mindset extends to things like hygiene for a lot of people. Please consider the world you live in and some inconveniences (like washing hands repeatedly) are for the sake of your fellow humans.

4. Same goes for things like picking your nose or jerking off......people, please.

At work my hands are dirtier than my dick, I have to wash them before I pee. Come to think of it my hands are probably always dirtier than my dick because despite my best efforts I still can't use it to open doors and not many people want to shake hands with it.

Nearly all of the time yes.

I think we have to talk about you. Regardless of your roommates bathroom habits, you should really assume every public surface is as dirty as you’re imagining the things your roommate touches. Put another way, I’m of the opinion that you are suffering from a bit of germophobia.

Every time. It’s about upkeep, not worrying whether I touched anything. Plus, I always blot with toilet paper anyway…

Lmao, reminds me of a college bathroom experience where someone entered, used the urinal, used the hand drier, and left.

I was astounded.

Yes, always.

I do

My parents don't

Yeah you read it right, my mom just TOUCHES THE FUCKING SEAT THING... then touch the flush, and I DON'T HEAR THE FAUCET RUNNING

I called it out once, and she did washed her hands for THAT ONE TIME then proceeded to never wash hands for every subsequent bathroom use... also never used soap...

My Theory on why: My parents grew up in Rural China... their standards of cleanliness is probably much lower...

I mean if they have germophobia like I do, then you can't even survive in the rural areas... if you know what I mean

Funny that they used to be the ones to teach me to wash my hands but now they don't anymore... wtf

Life pro tip op, when your hands are coated in soap rub the taps (and rinse with hands) and don't use your fingers for the light switch and door.

Yes, every single time. Even if I'm camping in the middle of nowhere. Hell, even if I sat down and didn't even touch my dong.

If I don't wash them, it feels like there is an invisible film on my hands. I don't know how to describe it. Like, a film of filth or grease or something. Purely mental. I HAVE to wash them.

Its crazy not to unless the bathroom sink is so gross it feels like it would be worse. What really gets me is folks don't shower before going into the pool. ewww. I would rather have everyone take a pee in the pool than not shower before. that at least is just proteins as opposed to all the dead skin, bacteria, and oil.

Somewhat related, have a think about how clean your belt is. Probably the first thing you touch after getting cack handed and never washed. Enjoy!

While most people would suggest a direct conversation, I have something far more interesting to propose. Think of it as a social experiment with a touch of behavioral conditioning. Here’s how you can turn this annoyance into an opportunity for growth (in more than one way).

Phase 1: The Setup

You’ll need a sample of a Listeria monocytogenes bacterial culture. You can buy those online. It's visually harmless and olfactorily intriguing, but it has some special abilities too. You also need to look up what aseptic laboratory techniques are and implement them at home when working on a project like this.

Place your culture in a sealed plastic bag with a nutrient source (bread, rice, mushy banana etc). Add sugar if you’re impatient. Add a small amount of warm water to activate the experiment. Seal the bag with tape. You want it to look official, but tempting to open. Place the bag on a shared surface. The kitchen table works well. Add a handwritten note:

"CAUTION: ACTIVE MICROBIAL CULTURE - DO NOT OPEN OR DISTURB. PART OF AN ONGOING HOUSEHOLD HYGIENE STUDY."

You could also use a realistic but vague label. Something like "Bio-Experiment #4 - Handle with Care" adds mystery without outright warning him off.

Next, you wait for the enticing fragrance to develop. During this stage L. monocytogenes utilizes the provided carbohydrates to produce its unique aroma while multiplying rapidly.

The goal here is to exploit human curiosity. Your roommate will notice the bag. He will wonder what’s inside. And if he’s the type who doesn’t wash his hands, he’s exactly the type of subject who will hopefully also open it sooner rather than later, especially if you casually mention how "fascinating" the results have been so far and how important they are to you. You could even mention that the resulting product will have "powerful health effects".

When your roommate inevitably asks, "Dude, what the hell is that smell?" downplay it. "Oh, it’s just a little experiment for a friend’s research project. Nothing to worry about. Just don’t open it, okay?" The more nonchalant you are, the more irresistible it becomes. If he opens the bag, your part of the experiment ends and you can dispose of the bag and its contents. If not, it's time to move on to the next phase.

Phase 2: The Reinforcement (A Study in Behavioral Adjustment)

After about a week, casually begin wiping down surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen with disinfectant wipes. Make it obvious, but don’t explain why.

Bonus: Leave a bottle of hand sanitizer on the kitchen counter with a Post-it that says "For everyone’s peace of mind."

Start washing your hands immediately after touching any shared surface. If your roommate is watching, sigh and mutter something about "cross-contamination" and "unpredictable variables."

If he asks what you’re doing, shrug and say, "Just being cautious. You never know what’s floating around in here."

Phase 3: Deployment

After a few more days of letting the experiment marinate (and your roommate marinate in paranoia), suit up. Gloves, mask, the works. Open the bag dramatically in front of him if he’s around. If he’s not, even better. Let him find the open bag later.

Dip a cotton swab into your microbial cocktail and generously apply it to:

The toilet handle.
The flush button.
The faucet handles.
The light switch.
Bonus: If you’re feeling artistic, draw little smiley faces on the toilet seat with it. He’ll never sit the same way again.

Avoid the bathroom for 24 hours. Let the magic happen. When you finally clean everything (with large amounts of 70% ethanol), make sure your roommate sees you doing it. Bonus points if you whistle while you work.

Phase 4: Aftermath

After The Great Cleaning, act normal. Don’t mention the experiment. Just wait and observe.

If your roommate starts washing his hands obsessively, pretend not to notice. If he avoids the bathroom entirely, ask him if he’s okay with fake concern. If he confronts you, just shrug and say:

"Dude, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Maybe you’re imagining things? Stress can do weird things to a person."

The Alternative (For the Faint of Heart):

Of course, if you’re not interested in exploring the boundaries of human behavior and hygiene psychology, you could always just talk to your roommate. Tell him his lazy habits are disgusting and inconsiderate. Tell him how that makes you feel and how to solve the problem.

Yeah, there's always tiny droplets. Would you also not wash your hands after pissing directly on it?

Yes. Yikes that's filthy. I mean I wash my hands throughout the day not just when I use the bathroom, as well. How do you prep and cook a meal without washing your hands to avoid cross-contamination between ingredients?

Turn the page and then you wash your hands.