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I washed my hands before it was fashionable, and they called me crazy

NAS62563

Oh the irony

Ever since I was around 10 years old I have been extra aware of my hygiene when it comes to touching things. I try to avoid touching door handles, money, light switches, shopping basket handles, petrol pumps (not always avoidable). If I have to touch one of these I absolutely have to wash my hands before using my PC or touching my face for example, it is right at the front of my mind. The reason being that some other people don't wash their hands and then their germs/faecal matter/virus goes onto it (bathroom door handles are the worst), then onto your hand, then onto your steering wheel, then onto your face.

In my opinion I consider this as normal/common sense, however my family have always said that it was nonsense and an obsession which is not normal that I wash my hands every time after touching something dirty and before eating food. When I was diagnosed "repetitive handwashing" was a sign of autism according to the psychologist. I know we can't see the germs and most of the time it doesn't mean you will be infected but I just don't get how people can touch a toilet door handle and then their face/phone/steering wheel without a care in the world.

Obviously now with Coronavirus people have somehow became more aware, but I bet it is being spread through shopping basket and trolley handles as people sneeze on them and the next person to use it touches their mouth as we speak

  • in reply to Ladybird

    I hate liquid soap, I use baby bar soap at home as it is less drying. Luckily at work the soap dispensers give a foam so it is not drying like liquid soap.

    Also, the medical advice is to moisturise after washing, as it gives a barrier. 

  • Good for you. I’m going to be the black sheep here because I find it really hard to force myself to use soap. I hate soap and how it dries my hands and I’m always using hand moisturiser straight after I wash my hands. I hate the feeling and I hate the smell of the soap. At home I use unscented soap/shampoo for newborns. I absolutely hate soap at work and public toilets. Washing hands with soap is like a torture. And I’m avoiding it as much as possible (I usually rinse my hands with just water). But surprisingly I don’t catch stomach flu or cold easily and I can’t even remember when I was ill last time. 

  • I have a similar experience at work. They have a free seating policy, meaning anyone can turn up any day and choose a desk, because there are fewer desks than people.

    I get in early and have used the same desk for years, ever since the policy started.  Not only do they get free work from me, because I don't finish early, but I don't have a cocktail of people's germs on the desk.

    I clean it myself regularly and if I have a day off I clean it before and after, knowing someone else may have used it. I clean it with disinfectant. 

    Colleagues looked at me offended and said things like 'do you think we're dirty' and I just usually say nothing or say that I just care about my and others hygiene. 

    I never ever ever want to have norovirus, the vomiting bug that spreads very quickly and with very few transmitted particles. And anything else that causes vomiting, that is my main phobia, along with a general feeling of disgust if someone else has touched something. I have also been using my knuckles and elbows to open doors for years.  And I have only been off sick once since I started my job. 

    Now, more colleagues are doing this and even asking for the products I use. 

  • My family considered me crazy / weird and all sorts of words I cannot write here for decent people to read, since I was an infant.  

    When I went to college and lived with other people, they considered my personal hygiene such as washing hands to be unacceptable. 

    When I moved back to my family and brought back my new hygiene habits, they considered these new ones to be unacceptable and weird again.

    I could not win!!!!

    The point I am making is hygiene and washing hands is family and culture dependent.  If you depart from the social norm of the people around you.  They will call you crazy and try to make you change you're behaviour and make you conform. 

    Don't take any notice of what other people say about you.  Do what you think is best.