Wash Your Hands!

I do not recall ever having a tummy bug as a child, the first time DH and I became ill was when DD started school.
I assume our systems were healthy because every germ was not scrubbed away with disinfectant, we built up a resistance. Soap and water was the order of the day, wash hands after using toilet and always before eating meals.

We didn't, JessM We were a clean family, but we didn't agonise about maintaining hospital levels of cleanliness as people do now.

My mother was an excellent cook, but without any formal training, so no theory of bug control, just common sense. She washed her hands before cooking and prepared vegetables before starting on the meat, and she kept work surfaces clean as a matter of pride. We washed our hands after using the toilet out of disgust at not doing so, not because we thought we carried a million germs on our fingers.

We had a bath and changed our clothes once a week - washing everything by hand meant that throwing every garment into the laundry basket daily wasn't on. We washed daily, but deodorants had not yet been invented (or if they had, they hadn't reached us) so my father changed his shirt more often - but not daily. He wasn't in a manual job, so wasn't getting all sweaty and dirty. After school we changed into non-school clothes to keep school clothes for the next day.

We were not dirty or smelly, we were seldom ill, and we have all lived to a good age without serious illness (I don't include my father's cancer or my mother's heart condition)

Maybe there were fewer germs around in those days, or perhaps our exposure to them toughened up our immune systems so that they were more alert and dealt with them faster? Maybe all that playing outdoors made us more resistant?

We had loads of tummy bugs when I was a child. People used to all noro "gastric flu"

I agree that in our childhood things were different. I too grew up with no running hot water and outside toilets, but I'm sure there were very few tummy bugs around then. In my thirteen years at school, there were no regular outbreaks in schools. The first I remember is when my children were at primary school, when their friends also had it, and the rest of the family. This happened only about three times. These outbreaks appear to be fairly regular now. My DGS' school was closed last year for a deep clean due to this.

Carrying trays in self service restaurants bothers me, as it's the last thing you touch before eating. Even handling the chairs to manoeuvre oneself into position is a thought. Out comes the hand gel, or a trip to the toilet. I don't like my cutlery put down on a bare table, as the table cleaning leaves a lot to be desired. I like certain cafes where they use paper towels to clean instead of a grotty cloth. I do wash my hands before going to eat, but, as above, you are still touching a lot.

Oh Ana, I just rest my arm on the escalator handrail, quite safe, whoops, as she goes bowling down the escalator!! I must admit I am more aware of touching things out of the home after I saw one young man take his finger out of his nose and wipe it on the nearest thing, urrgh.

I'm a hospital domestic, noro virus is not killed by hand gel, so hands should be washed with soap and water, especially if you're in public toilets, you don't know what the people who were in before you had,

We live in environments where there are billions of bacteria. You can never get rid of them all. Getting too worried about it can increase anxiety levels and lead to compulsive behaviour maybe, or dermatitis. Washing hands in Milton for instance (i.e. in weak bleach) is OTT and unnecessary.
(i knew a psychiatrist once who was unable to touch a patient of a doorhandle in his office!)
The problem can come when faecal bacteria or viruses get into your mouth either directly or via food. Some of these micro-organisms have to be present in large quantities e.g. cholera bacterium has to be ingested in high numbers to make you ill (they did the experiments!). Stomach acid kills a good % of bacteria.
Food poisoning bacteria may have to increase in numbers on food before reaching dangerous levels.
Taking stomach acid blocking medicine may reduce your ability to destroy any dangerous bacteria that you swallow.
The bug that can most easily cause illness is norovirus (winter vomiting virus), which can infect with just a few viral particles.
I think sensible precautions, at this time of year in particular, are to wash hands properly when you come home and also before and after preparing food. Or if eating out, make sure your hands are clean before touching your food.
Not really a lot else you can do.

I think if you can just thoroughly wash your hands, most toilets I use now there is rarely soap or hot water (in case it is too hot and scalds I have been told), then dry my hands on some loo paper if there isn't paper towels, I use this to open the door, then put it a bin. The first thing I do when I get in the house from shopping is wash my hands. It as drummed into me when young to do this also never let your bottom touch the seat. Gels and wipes are not enough on their own. I am constantly surprised the amount of young people who don't was their hands, we have to touch the door handle they touch. I do sound fussy.

Elegran - that made me laugh out loud ! I'm going to try out your theory !

Ah, Grannycupcake, I used to love a good old fashioned campaign. All those public information films - turn off your lights, use your handkerchief, pick up your litter. One of them was about washing your hands as well. Bring 'em all back, I say!

I hope you wash your gloves regularly, holcott48! They must be crawling with germs...

"Esau de fanny" indeed!

I think hot water makes the soap more slippy slidey on the skin. So the germs wash off better. And/or it could be to do with the molecules in the water being affected by being hot.

I wear gloves a lot when out, handling shopping trolleys, and I only take them off when I am shut in the toilet cubicle and they get put on before I press the flush or open the door!

That was funny Elegran.

I agree with zanith. We always wash our hands as soon as we arrive home from anywhere. I think that is more important then even after using facilities. You will never know what people have touched (don't like to imagine) before they touch handles, bannisters and countless other things. I am surprised that I haven't seen a campaign on tv or other media.

Women don't do a shake, they wipe off the drips with a tissue, unless they are happy to pull up their knickers onto a wet vulva. Absorbent paper lets through some moisture and germs. Try smelling your hands after wiping - you will detect eau de fanny.

Sorry, to play devil's advocate, why do you need to wash your hands if you don't actually get wee on them?

Right, I think we all ought to start a new fashion for wearing gloves! I remember when I was a child we sometimes wore little white gloves in the summer.

Although I am ancient, I try not to touch an escalator bannister, unless I am wearing
gloves!!!

f77ms - know just how you feel! I work in retail and caught flu a couple of years ago and was SO ILL. I lost half a stone and really cannot remember ever feeling so ill. I now wash my hands all the time at work and we have hand sanitisers behind the counter, especially if we spot a "sniffy"! Apparently the optimum hand wash time is the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday through! Really don't know how I know that but yes it takes me into the realms of OCD when I am in the ladies.

I love an optimist Elegran

Hottish water is more pleasant to use, so more chance of more people taking more time to wash off more germs.

Well, I've just Googled my own question and the general consensus seems to be very confused!

Germs are not killed by using hot water

Soaps work better in warm water

Hot water can dry the skin because it removes more of the natural oils, causing cracks to form, which can lead to infection. This in turn can lead to people not washing their hands at all in order to avoid dry/cracked skin

Cold water is just as effective as using hot water

I'm now even more