Washing hands. Is it really necessary?

Question

Society always tells us to wash our hands after going to the bathroom, but is it really that important? I mean, you don't exactly pee on your hands or use your bare hand to wipe yourself (I know I don't anyway), so why is it so important? Everything you are touching is no more unclean than your hands themselves. Is it really just a way of making sure we keep our hands generally clean?

Are any of you even bothering to read my whole question and think about it for one second? Or are you just giving a quick, dramatic and reactionary response?

MY QUESTION APPLIES SPECIFICALLY TO AFTER THE BATHROOM, I KNOW YOU SHOULD WASH YOUR HANDS, BUT I'M ASKING IS IT REALLY SO IMPORTANT TO DO IT AFTER THE BATHROOM.

Answer 1

Yes, it's an essential way to keep from spreading diseases -- perhaps the best way you can take part of on a daily basis.

Answer 2

In addition to what others say....when you flush the toilet germ are expelled into the air and get all over everything within 2 or 3 feet. Washing hands will help if done properly.

I myself carry hand sanitizer with me because I am a home support worker. This enables me to "wash" my hands without water so I don't have to touch taps or anything else that has been contaminated.

At home I don't always wash after peeing but I always wash before preparing food. Most colds/flu can be prevented by washing your hands AND keeping your hands away from your face.

Answer 3

Ok think of this someone goes to the bathroom and takes a dump, they wipe their butt and get some on their hand or something. They say oh I don't need to wash my hands because they don't realize they got any on them. they touch the handle to flush and they touch the door handle. You go in next and you touch the handle to flush the toilet,now you have their poop on you but you don't realize it cause it just a little. Then you touch the dooor handle and then there is more even if you washed you still got it on you from the door handle. What you didn't know was that the person who took a dump and didn't wash was a parasite carrier. You touched your face or even bite your finger nails and now you got them too and whatever else that person is carrying, it is one thing to have your own bugs which everyone does but its another to get someone elses. you might not use your bare hands but there are a lot of sick people out there never say never. I don't touch anything in bathrooms without paper towel, I keep baby wipes with me to grab the door going in and I hover never sit.

Answer 4

YES! YES! YES! Oh my god yes do you know how many germs grow on your hands, think about this, say you go to a restaurant and the weightier, cook, and all the other staff there don't wash there hands would you want that cook to handle your food, that weightier serving you your food, now picture this your weightier comes into work, was just smoking a cigarette, comes in goes to the bathroom and takes a **** and a piss then cleans off a table that a little kid was sneezing all over and in the mean time, while he was doing all this not once did he wash his hands do you want him to handle your food?

Answer 5

A BIG LOUD YES ! Not only touching door handles (unless your wearing gloves) but just plain touching everything from here to there & back again from the bathroom. OTHER's may not be washing their hands with yuck on their hands & your picking their stuff up. Go wash your hands, listen to your Mother !

Answer 6

Umm yes it is!! Not only are you preventing spreading bacteria, germs, etc from yourself to everyone, everything you touch after you leave the bathroom (some bacteria can thrive for a very long time) you will also be washing away the bacteria from god knows who was sitting on the toilet before you.

Answer 7

Em yes! Feacal matter and therefore bugs end up on your hands after you wipe and dont wash. You are spreading feacal coliforms - type of bacteria thats nasty. You can also get e-coli, gastroenteritis and a host of other bugs that give you vomitting/and or the runs. You are just a filthy person not washing your hands after going to the bathroom, I bet you have a poop then go and put your hands near your mouth - dont you? Your gross.

Answer 8

Whether you drip anything on yourself or not, think of the things you are touching in a bathroom that others...whose hygiene you cannot vouch for are touching...the toilet flushing mechanism, the door handle to the toilet stall, etc.

Then there is the issue of "moisture." You wipe yourself and it is inevitable that some moisture from the urine or feces will pass through the paper to your hands. All in all...washing your hands is a minor inconvenience compared to the potential benefit.

Answer 9

There are several camps of thought for hand washing.

LIberal Camp: Dry hands are clean and rarely transport harmful organisms. No need to wash all the time.

Doctors Camp: The Doctors camp. He visits many sick patients, and it is shown that he must wash after patient visits to prevent transferring disease to himself and other patients.

Super Hygiene Camp. Wash everything constantly. Never share plates, drinks and forks with casual acquaintances. Never kiss on the lips, except with spouse. If you drop food on the floor, throw it out.

Biologist Camp: Dirt, bacteria and germs are everywhere and it's OK to back off on the hygiene routines. Exposure to germs is healthy. It builds up the immune system. There are good germs and bad germs and when you wash you kill off the bad germs clearing an open range for the bad germs to take over.

My Camp: Hygiene habits of the Super Paranoid: Keep a vigilant eye out for potato chip double dippers. I wash before and after visiting the bathroom. If I drop a hot dog the cat gets it. I never shake hands while eating. I keep my hands away from my face. Food above the table and feet below the table. I never visit someone when I'm sick and expect the same regard. In the hospital I limit touching any surface. I don't save open coke cans in the refrigerator or leave spoons in the Tupperware salsa container, or peanut butter jar. The dog seldom comes in the house, especially when we are eating. Wet surfaces are assumed to be contaminated with diarrhea pathogens. Dry surfaces are safer and less likely to contain harmful bacteria. Let dishes dry completely before putting them away.
Even so, I eat wild blackberries without washing. I believe it's a safe way to expose my immune system to new germs.

Hobo Camp: Share everything including germs, it won't kill anyone to share.

Answer 10

Yes it is very important to wash your hands after you go to the bathroom.

Answer 11

even if you were the only person to use a bathroom, you still have left your house and picked up germs your hands pick up germs everywhere. children are not so hygenic when it comes to using the bathroom or wiping themselves they could have not washed there hands and then been pushing the shopping cart you just grabbed when you entered the store.