work colleague who doesnt wash her hands!!

The loos I went in in Japan had buttons at the side which projected a stream of water then hot air upwards towards the nether regions and toilet flushed automatically as you rose and the door opened by itself when you got up. Not altogether an unpleasant experience..the washing bit, but I was a bit scared the door would open too soon.

I'm afraid I would say to her, 'Remind me never to accept a cake/sweet/pen etc. off you in future as I can see you don't wash your hands after you've been to the toilet!' I'm not a germ phobe at all but I certainly don't want to take something from someone I know for sure has wee on their hands.

I am a nurse and always conscious about hand hygiene, I always have a little bottle of antibacterial gel in my handbag, maybe if you work by her you could have this gel on your hands then offer her some, she might be quite glad and ask where you buy it.Good luck.

I use a paper towel to open the door on my way out of public toilets for this very reason. I would comment on it to her "gosh X you must have been in a hurry you forgot to wash your hands in bathroom." If you work in a hospital, or food environment I would report it to manager.

An elderl y neighbour of mine used to work in the fields when she was young. They used to relieve themselves in the hedge and then eat their sandwiches with their mucky hands. She was never ill.
There are germs everywhere. Shop door handles and now everything is self service, all goods and foodstuffs.

Many many years ago at a job at a university, we used to share reception desk cover. There were 6 of us and usually one of us would have a cold or something and unintentionally coughed and sneezed onto the phone and keyboard, inevitably getting past hands covering mouth.

Before hand-gels, etc...we were advised to use a spray bottle with surgical spirits to spray on a tissue (from the handy box on the desk) and then wiped the phone receiver mouth piece and also the computer keyboard. Made sense to me...and I still do something similar now.

Just a thought, how do you know this particular lady hasn't used a sanitising gel before leaving the cubicle? I only ask because its something I do, (I hate washing my hands in public loos)

Those that believe urine is sterile are misguided, it is a myth. It should not be used as an excuse for lack of cleanliness.

Stansgran
Hahahaha - well said!

I'm exactly like Rosina I try to use an item of clothing to open toilet door on way out or a tissue if I can't follow someone out and wash hands every time I come home from shopping, visiting, travelling etc. Also always carry hand sanitiser for use when eating out.

We're all doomed I tell you doomed.

Did you know that when tested a bowl of nuts on a bar counter had 5 different urine samples???
I open and close the loo door of public toilets with a tissue.
Carry hand gel

I read that about hot air dryers , that is why I hate them , and try not to be near it when all the germy air is flying about !!

My health professional daughter says soapand water is much more effective than hand sanitiser -and doctors are the worst offenders ...
Interestingly in Japan water isnt always provided in loos, rarely soap and towels/blowers only in posh places. TheJapanese appear to carry their own little towels everywhere. Sort of negates (most of them) wearing face masks we thought

I read something recently that said the hot air dryers actually distribute germs.

Note: That hand cleaner stuff you see in hospitals and doctors surgeries is for you to use. It is there because people go to hospital and the doctors because they are ill! Get the connection? It kills germs and will kill any that you have accumulated throughout the day so give it a whirl, it keeps people safer.

Next time she goes to the loo, follow her and be at the washbasins as she exits the cubicle. Just say very casually something like' oops you forgot to wash your hands, must be the pressure of work'. Make a joke of it and surely she would be too embarrassed not to wash them. While she's doing that you could even (if you're brave enough) add that you know some people who don't bother but you're sure she's not like that.

Germs are everywhere! Yes, they are, but that is no excuse for not washing your hands after a sit down in the loo. E-Coli, Salmonella, and other horrible things can be caught by touching door handles and toilet seats....eating raw meat too but that is another story. Would you want to eat anything that was handled by someone who had just visited the toilet and come out without washing their hands? If you say 'No', then don't be a hypocrite, wash your own hands. It doesn't take long and it makes sure you do not infect other people with what could be life changing illnesses.

I know how ill Salmonella makes people. My own son nearly died from it as a baby. He caught it in the hospital! Everyone had to be tested so they found out who it was that was the carrier.

Ever since I saw a notice in a loo saying " wash your hands , germs jump through toilet paper " I have thought that using a thicker wad helps , but I hate washing my hands where there is a towel or those hot air blowers , I keep a few serviettes in my hand bag to dry my hands

I do wash my hands but I would point out that fresh urine is actually sterile and a quick swish under cold water is probably enough.
Faeces are of course another matter .
You could try notices but there are people everywhere 'contaminating'everything we touch so unless you have a compromised immune system I'd try not to worry about it.
On a recent long haul I did wipe my tray seat and the screen in front of me quite thoroughly with sanitised wipes as I tend to come back from holidays with a cold and I do wonder, although apparently its a myth that its the aircon on planes .Accompanying daughter was mortified.And it didnt work.

OK, so here goes for a cyber bashing!!! I have wondered this for years, and no doubt there will be someone who can put me straight.

Before I go on, though, I would state clearly, that I DO wash hands after using the loo.

But. What ARE these germs we need to cleanse from us. And where are they lurking. I don't know about anyone else, but after I have used the toilet, I don't wipe with bare hands. So where am I getting these germs from?

As I understand it, germs are everywhere, and are unavoidable. Do we insist everyone washes their hands after they have coughed? Or sneezed? Or poked around in their ears, or up their noses? Because if we don't, then everything that is touched after these events, and even without them, is germ ridden.

Should we then be washing our own hands every time we touch a door handle, or light switch? How many of us wash our hands after handling money - surely a major carrier of germs? Or are some germs more acceptable than others? As I understand it, urine is sterile, so not many germs from that.

I used to keep a bottle of hand sanitiser in my pocket, and I'd use it before exiting the toilet cubicle. I don't do that any more after it occurred to me that the "down their noses" looks I was getting from other people probably stemmed from their assumption that I was a dirty moo.

We maybe fuss too much. Remember when library books had to be fumigated if there was disease at home? Then it was found to be pointless. 'Germs' are everywhere. Wash your hands if dealing with food.

Why cause yourself a headache? Just wash your own hands more, germs are everywhere and can't be avoided. I worked in a hospital and men rarely washed their hands they were in and out of the toilet opposite like a flash.........didn't notice men being sicker than women.

Sort your own hygiene, always wash hands before food etc and you will be fine.

We had this when I was working in a big office. One woman never washed her hands. A lot of us had noticed as the loo was somewhere we could congregate for a moan- it was very large!

She was a very nice person & worked in my section but she could be quite fiery in the wrong situation.

We asked personnel for a notice in the loo & they obliged but it made no difference.

I don't think anyone ever spoke to her about it- I was her section leader so I suppose I should have done but I thought there are so many germs around an office anyway it probably wasn't a huge concern. She always dashed in- had a quick wee & dashed out again so I think it was more that she didn't like using public loos anyway.
We all survived.

I was born in a working class district in Glasgow, in the 1930s. There was muck and germs everywhere. We weren't continually washing our hands. Myself and others from that era, have lived long and healthy lives, it didn't do us any harm. As long as we washed our hands before meals.