February 2020 Chat Thread

[Bean]

Oh, I see many people for whom hand washing really isn't an important thing! People walking out of toilet cubicles without stopping by the sink. And lots of people who think wiping their hands on a dry towel (the same towel) in the kitchen while cooking is the same as cleaning them?

So for people who do handwash regularly anyway, it's probably more important to make sure you're not touching your face while you're out and about and then wash them when you get in!

The media's going a bit potty here, some comments about possible contingency plans if the situation gets much worse here have been repeated and built on, so now all the kids in the city are celebrating the fact that they're probably getting at least 2 months off school while they shut down in a bid to contain it!

[3piggles]

I carry a travel size bottle of hand sanitizer, and don't wash my hands in public ladies rooms. Many aren't clean enough for me to feel clean, if I wash there, and even if the have air dryers for our hands, the quality of washing I've seen before pushing that start button doesn't inspire confidence. So I'm one of the people walking out without washing my hands, and I think my hands are much cleaner for it 🤗

I've noticed large bottles of hand sanitizer in lots of places from lobbies of buildings to checkout stations at stores.

[Bean]

Apparently they've been selling out at loads of places here. My husband was in a shop and the lady in front asked for some and was told someone had just been in and bought all 60 bottles?!

So you're telling me that I'm washing my hands and then getting all the germs straight back on my hands because they're on the door handles from people who are choosing to sanitise outside?! Pah!

Our hand dryers are almost entirely automatic these days. And most of the taps are automatic too, so the only thing you need to touch after you've finished washing your hands is the door handle!

I always think it's better when they have the doors at the entrance to the bathroom so you pull the handle going in, and can then just push it open with your body as you go out. There seem to be an increasing number like that.

[3piggles]

Homemade hand sanitizer: 2/3 C rubbing alcohol; 1/3 C aloe; 8-10 drops of essential oils, if using. If using thyme or clove oil, which are antimicrobial, use only 1-2 drops, as they are very strong, and can hurt sensitive skin.

Most of the public restrooms I use are in stores, supermarkets, Target, Walmart, etc. They aren't tended well, and tend to be dirty, anyway. My feeling is how can I get clean in a dirty bathroom? So I skip the whole process, and just use the hand sanitizer. Most of our public bathroom doors have handles, so yes, I guess those would be major harbors for germs. In the winter, I'm usually wearing gloves, but not the rest of the time.

Even if I'm in a very clean bathroom, I don't know what was on the hands of the last person to touch the faucets, so I just prefer to use the hand sanitizer.

Also, with my perfume allergy, sometimes I have to get out of the bathroom really quickly, as I can only hold my breath for so long. With my trusty little bottle of hand sanitizer, I still get clean hands

[amber89]

I think that in the EU the hot air hand dryers are forbidden for some years. Instead single use paper towels are used.
Those hand dryers just spread bacteria all over your hands (source)

[3piggles]

We have both. I don't find either of them dries my hands. Tbe paper for the towels isn't absorbent, and I have to run the heater several times. I'll stick with my hand sanitizer.

[bazookagoof]

I use a paper towel to open the door on a public bathroom; seems to work well enough for me. Some higher-end places have what they call an "airblade", which is an extremely powerful air-dryer that you put your hands inside and it dries them in seconds.

I've even seen a few bathrooms that have a little bar of metal you hook with your elbow so you don't have to touch with your hands! Of course, a bathroom door, properly designed, should always open out anyway.

[Bean]

I just looked up the door handles you can pull with your elbows - I've never seen one but they're a good idea for public loos!

An increasing number of our public loos in larger places like shopping centres don't have doors on the main entrance anymore, but instead there's a corner you have to walk round at the entrance to create privacy.

I've never thought about the details of handwashing so much as I have in the last couple of weeks!

[3piggles]

Many of our malls have the corners to walk around, but individual stores, restaurants, etc., have handles. Also, the toilet stalls have handles, which is another reason I use hand sanitizer. I don't know if restroom door handles ever get cleaned.