Did you wash your hands?

@relundad (2310)
United States
September 11, 2008 11:38pm CST
Since hand sanitizers became so popular, I use it a lot. I have them in all of my bathrooms at home and at my office. I also carry some in my purse. Now that it has become habit to use them, I now usually don't wash my hands in the ladies room in public. I just use and go. When I get back to my office or purse I will then use the hand sanitizer. Well today when I was using the ladies room at my office there were a couple of people standing at the sink and mirrors when I left the stall. As I was walking out, I couldn't help but thinking these people probally think I am ultra nasty since I didn't wash before leaving the ladies room. Do you use hand sanitizers? Do you feel uncomfortable if someone see's you leaving the restroom without washing your hands, even if you know that you are going to use sanitizer?
3 people like this
29 responses
@babystar1 (4233)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I always wash my hands when I leave the restrooms. I use soap and water also at home. The only time I use a sanitizer is when I go out shopping. I leave a bottle of the sanitizer in my car and thats when I use it. The shopping carts are full of germs and whatever you touch in the store got germs to.
1 person likes this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I consider that when I use the sanitizer that I am washing my hands.
• India
12 Sep 08
Hand sanitizers are not so popular here but are available in the market. I use to travel by the Volvo bus for travel to capital and they use to supply that for hands. Otherwise at home I use to wash my hands in the bath room. Before and after every meal we all family members wash our hands with soap to avoid and infection. Do you wash your hands before eating any thing.please comment and have a nice day.
1 person likes this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Yes I do wash my hands before dinner at home under the faucet. Its mostly when I am in public that I use hand sanitizer. I do have it in my bathrooms at home and oddly enough when I am entertaining it seems to get used in the guest bathrooms by the guest. So I think alot of people use them.
@bonbon664 (3466)
• Canada
12 Sep 08
I never leave the restroom without washing my hands. I think it is nasty if you don't. You have now left your germy hands all over the door handle. So, the people who have washed their hands just got them all dirty again because you didn't was yours. I only use those hand santizers when there is no soap and water available. The overuse of those things is becoming a real problem. The best way is old fashioned soap and water.
1 person likes this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
First there is no door except the one on the stall that everyone touchs after using. And I do consider myself washing my hands with sanitizer.
@nengs10 (3180)
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
I don't use hand sanitizers actually. I'd rather wash my hands the usual way with soap and water. I was taught by my friends who are nurses to wash my hands for a long time. While washing my hands, they said it's best to sing the song Happy Birthday and you will just stop washing when the song ends. That's a cool advice.
1 person likes this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I think its more convient for me to use the sanitizer in some public restrooms because half the time theres no soap, or no paper towels or you have to wait on that stupid hand dryer. So I just go back to my desk and sanitize my hands. Even if you wash in the ladies room you can't guarantee who didn't and when you touch the handle you are back to where you started.
• Malaysia
12 Sep 08
I rarely use hand sanitizers because I prefer to wash my hands since I am used to it. I feel uncomfortable when I don't wash my hands.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
I feel uncomfortable if my hands are not clean. I just happen to use hand sanitizers.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I don't. We need exposure to germs to keep our immune systems healthy. That doesn't mean I never wash my hands, but I do if they are dirty or if I get something on them like raw meat. Everyone I know is constantly using sanitizer and washing their hands and they get sick a lot. I haven't even had a cold for four years.
1 person likes this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Well I definitely want to wash my hands, and in my mind I am washing them as I use the sanitizer. Its just that the ladies in the room at the time might not know that is the plan.
• United States
12 Sep 08
I rarely use hand sanitizers because you're doing way more harm than good. Hand sanitizers end up creating super germs that can pretty much last through anything. The only sure-fire way to get rid of germs is to use some warm water and soap and scrub for several seconds. With that being said, I just wash my hands. Sometimes if I cannot be near a sink I will use a hand sanitizer but otherwise I prefer knowing I won't be creating any super germs in the near future.
• United States
12 Sep 08
Yep. That is why I do not use them unless that is the only soap I have access to. It's just regular soap and water for me.
@rocketj1 (6955)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Yes! The same can be said for antibacterial soaps. It washes into our water supply.
• Canada
12 Sep 08
I don't use sanitizers often because I find they dry my hands out . I probably have to find a good one as I am sure there is one out there that wouldn't dry my hands out and it would be a good idea to have them around the house for the children as I am sure they would love to use this and I wouldn't have to worry as much about weather or not they did a good job washing their hands . I would never have been able to leave the bathroom without washing my hands because I would have worried so much what those other peoople thought lol . I am sure if I saw someone walk out that would have been what I would have thought of right away and would never have given any thought to a hand sanitizer yet if I used them all the time I would probably feel differently lol .
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I guess prior to now I must have always been the only person in the ladies room so I never noticed. But it felt pretty weird.
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
Purposed of washing your hand is to prevent transfer of bacteria-organism from person to preson and palce to place
1 person likes this
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Aboutus, I am fully aware of the purpose of washing your hands. I just opt to use sanitizer. Which is supposed to serve the same purpose, to kill bacteria.
@zebra2222 (5269)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Hand sanitizers are great in the restrooms. However, you still have to spend enough time washing your hands in order to get rid of the germs and bacteria.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
Thanks for the info.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
12 Sep 08
hi relundad no Idont feel uncomfortable if someone sees'ne not washing my hands as I use a hand sanitizer. It is simply nobody's business but mine. However I just wash as the stuff in the sanitizers make my hands so sore. too many chemicals so I just wash with mild soap myself and let it go.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
THanks for responding.
• United States
12 Sep 08
I use hand sanitizers, because I was required to working in nursing, however, they are never to replace hand washing. If that were the case a doctor before doing surgery would simply put it on his hands and be ready to go. Hand washing is very important. It should always be done when cooking, cleaning, and also using the restroom. You should wash your hands for at least 30 seconds of lather with the warmest water you can stand. Hand sanitizers are great for in the car or at the desk before you touch your keyboard, however, they forget to mention one little detail. Hand sanitizers kill about 99.9 percent of the germs, that little itty bitty .1 percent that it doesn't kill, becomes bigger. The more you don't wash you hands, and touch areas that aren't germ free (impossible) then you contract what is called (laymens terms) a super bug. The super bug is the one that will contract and spread and that is the one you have to worry about. The little germs that you killed with the sanitizer is great until you continue using it and not washing your hands. 9 out of 10 chances if you just used the restroom and did not wash you hands then you contracted many super bugs from the handle to flush the toilet, or the door knob walking out or the handle on the stale. Just remember other people don't wash their hands too, so you just picked up all of that on your hands, but are only going to take away a portion of it. But hey at least hand sanitizer smells good, right?
@icegermany (2524)
• India
12 Sep 08
using the hand sanitizers is really hygenic and i feel everyone should do so but i face a problem that after using hand sanitizer i feel that my hands have become dry and i use a moisturising cream but each time when i do i cant use a moisturiser. yes it really feels odd if you dont wash your hands and leave the restroom but i think its just a feeling in us but people are not going to note us so deeply but if the other people have time they do so but if not they will really dont notice and i think its just a feeling in us and nothing more than that. i dont think nowadays anyone have so much of time to notice all that. but using a sanitizer all the time i feel it leaves my hand dry and i feel this as a problem as everytime i need a moisturiser.
1 person likes this
@rekcart83 (149)
• Philippines
13 Sep 08
I always wash my hands whenever I find water. Lol. Specially before eating I scrub both hands carefully. I don't like using sanitizers cause of the smell. And I feel like I have chemicals on my hand. Just plain clean water is enough for me. If there's no way I could wash my hand before eating like then at all cost I avoid touching my food. You see I use my hand when eating fried chicken and some others that needs hand to eat properly.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
A lot of people are hung up on the chemical aspect of it. Do soap not contain chemicals? I don't know that I would think water was sufficient to rid of germs.
12 Sep 08
washing hands is mandatory.if one do not get into this habit he/she may be caught by some disease.
1 person likes this
@neztin (476)
• Singapore
13 Sep 08
i dont use hand sanitizers often, in fact in my country here, hand sanitizers are not easily available and it's rather expensive too if i use it often. i'll prefer to wash my hand though i know when washing hand only may not as clean as using hand sanitizers. but it's been a habit since young, so that when using hand sanitizers, i'll be actually feel uncomfortable, that i'll feel im not clean enough before i've wash my hand. this annoys me. however, if it does to other people, i didnt really bother, i cant just anyhow judge someone who is walking out from the toilet without washing their hands to be deemed nasty and dirty. so i think u do not need to feel uncomfortable with other people. they may not be labelling u as what u were thinking ;)
@4aps777 (1528)
• United States
12 Sep 08
i was my hands several times a day
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
Me too with hand sanitizer.
@Chevee (5905)
• United States
12 Sep 08
I always wash my hands when it is possible, I use hand sanitizer when there is no where to wash my hands. I keep it in my purse too. I use is mostly when I go out to eat. If I had been in the restroom I would have thought the same thing. I work in a company with a lot of co-workers and many of the ladies that used the restroom did not wash their hands. So when we had some kind of celebration like a lunch or dinner any thing that concerns food no one would eat the food the no hand washer brought.
@relundad (2310)
• United States
12 Sep 08
Well its not like I don't clean my hands, I just don't do it in the ladies room. All of my employee's are always asking to use the sanitizer thats in my office so they are well aware that I use it all day every day. But I felt weird because these were people that work in the office building, not people that work for me.
@divinchris (2449)
• India
13 Sep 08
I do wash my hand with a hand sanitizer,I have bought that just recently one for my restroom.Previously I was using a soap to wash my hands.Nowadays I feel very comfortable with the hand sanitizers.Normally I wont take my hand sanitizer with me everytime I go outside.Thank You.Happy mylotting
• China
12 Sep 08
often washing your hands is such a good habit. i always wash my hands before i leave the restroom or find something to eat. i believe such a simple act can prevent you from lots of disease, especially these respiratory diseases. just like an old chinese saying says "ofen washing your hands keep you from the diseases"
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
Washing definitely decreases the number of germs we leave laying around.
@esphyka (158)
• Philippines
12 Sep 08
yes i use it often... it is my habit now....
@relundad (2310)
• United States
13 Sep 08
Me too!