With all the information we have available to us about the spread of germs that cause disease and illness, it seems our common sense has gone to the wayside.
Diseases are passed not only to other people through handshakes or touching,
they are passed on to ourselves. In other words, by not washing our hands we make other people sick and also ourselves. Yet, people (in this case, women) are still not washing their hands after using a public restroom.
During this trip I noticed women (as I don't have and don't want access to the men's restrooms 🤨 😉) that about one in four women actually wash their hands WITH soap after using a public restroom. This, in my opinion, is disgusting.
Women throughout history have typically been the cleaner of the sexes, but I guess that has changed.
Recently, a dear friend passed away, a male friend. My friend would NOT shake hands with anyone. I used to think this was a bit odd, but I respected his choice. I no longer think his choice was odd - I think he was extremely wise.
After witnessing all the women this week who either just walked from the stall to the exit door to the women who just 'rinsed' one of their hands off with water only and then left, I don't want to be touched by anyone or shake hands with anyone now either.
Here are a few tips for those of you who are like me and wash your hands after using any restroom (even my own).
THESE ARE ALSO TIPS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T WASH YOUR HANDS - READ AND HEED!
1. Always use soap. Rinsing with water only is not enough and oh yeah, WASH BOTH HANDS - what are you thinking by washing or rinsing only one? Water will not destroy any viruses or germs that cause disease. In fact, in some cases water facilitates the spread even more. Always, always, always use soap.
2. Open the stall door when you are done and flush with your back to the toilet and them exit the stall quickly. GET OUT OF THERE!
The overspray from the flushing can go three feet in any direction in the air.
EXCUSE MY BLUNTNESS HERE BUT THIS NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUT: The overspray carries anything that in that toilet bowl. That includes pee, poop, menstral blood and fluids, and a host of other disgusting things. Do you really want the overspray on your face clothes, handbags, etc.?
3. NEVER use your clean, just washed hands to turn the water off, to push or pull a lever for paper towels, or hit the button on the hand air dryer. The person before you may not have washed their hands (or hand).
Touching can recontaminate your clean hands. Push or pull for a paper towel to be lowered before you wash your hands so that it is ready to go. Use your wrist to push the water lever down to turn the water off. Use your elbow to turn the hand air dryer on. NEVER touch these things with your clean hands.
4. Use a paper towel, your sleeve, or at the very least a piece of clean toilet paper to cover the handle of the exit door. See reasons in Number 2.
5. SIDE NOTE 1: Either carry a small baggie with cleaning towelettes (Lysol, Bleach, etc.) with you to clean the toilet seat, use the paper toilet seat covers offered in a lot of restrooms, line the seat with toilet paper, or better yet, DON'T SIT DOWN!
See reasons in Number 2.
6. SIDE NOTE 2: While in the restroom, keep your hands always from your face until you wash them. After you wash, if you need to blow your nose or something similar - WASH YOUR HANDS AGAIN AFTER!
7. ALWAYS FLUSH! I also noticed that several women did not flush. You know who you are - please JUST FLUSH! Who wants to use a toilet that is still full from some strangers using it? I know I don't. It is just courteous to flush after yourself.
8. While it seems like a lot of effort and is time consuming - it actually only add 45-60 seconds to do it right the first time. Who doesn't have a minute to prevent illness or disease from spreading around or leaving a mess for a fellow woman? Tell me please!
(NOTE: I don't like to rant about anything, but this is really a problem for ALL women. We are better than this - aren't we?)
Do you wash after using the restroom whether public or at home? Were you taught as a child to flush, wash your hands, and be clean? What are your thoughts on this post
XOXO