How many times a day do you wash your hands?

Ya bit of an odd question eh?

I work in the food service industry and I am constantly washing my hands. I mean constantly. So this week, out of sheer curiousity and boredom, I counted how many times I washed my hands in the run of day, both at work and home. I was shocked by the numbers. I knew I did it alot but wow...

Monday- 123 times
Tuesday-109 times
Wednesday- 126 times
Thursday- 142 times(this was a very busy day at work)
Friday- 98 so far(It's 630pm here)

That is a 119 times a day on average with still about 7 to 8 hours left in my day.

Is that excessive do ya think? Do any of you come close to that or do you even have a clue on how many times you wash your hands?

Just a lighter topic for a Friday.

Now, 6 or 7 times off the top of my head. But when I worked the hospital 100-150 easy. When I was a cook...I don't think I could try to count. Definitely in the 250-300 range.

Rough estimate: about 35 times a day.

I have mild OCD.


-TheAssoc.

Sometimes I don't wash my hands at all, I really don't care much about hygiene

reply to post by GAOTU789


Since we're on the subject, how do you manage to keep your hands from getting dried out? I despise lotion; the greasy feeling irks me.

The best way I've found thus far (sans lotion) is to just dry them thoroughly after washing. That works to some degree, but I'm curious to see if anyone else knows a better way of handling the situation.


-TheAssoc.

I was my hands on the average of 40-50 times a day depending on what's going on at work it could be more. Not excessive for either of us given our jobs. The best way to stay healthy is to wash your hands often.

I've never really counted. Certainly, every time I use the restroom. Also, before I handle food. I'm not like Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets, though. Not that bad lol.

Very strange question, indeed!

I would guess under 10 times a day. I'm not very concerned about germs at all and my dogs lick my mouth, so my hands are the least of my worries!

reply to post by TheAssociate


I find that drying throughly helps alot.

Also, i use expensive soap at home and order high quality stuff for work. the stuff at work is very mild on the skin. I worked at places that after four or five washes, my hands would be very dry and start to crack. Hurt like hell working with some ingredients to have those little cracks on your hands.

I do use a hand lotion sometimes though, especially in the winter. Good quality stuff doesn't leave your hands or skin feeling greasy at all.

Originally posted by nick_napalm
Sometimes I don't wash my hands at all, I really don't care much about hygiene

That's gross mate, sorry.

I wouldn't want to ever shake your hand with out a glove on or something.

I've never counted, but quite often. I'm a bit obsessive so anytime after I do anything mucky or before I handle food or wash or dry the dishes I have to make sure my hands are clean.

There are times when these particular rules go out of the window and that is when I am doing any sort of DIY. That's when my inner bloke come out and all my usual phobias go out of the window. I get my hands dirty and it doesn't bother me and if I want a cup of tea I just get on with making it - thinking what a cissy I'd be if I stopped to wash them. (The usual rules apply for rest-room breaks, though)

Benevolent Heretic I make allowances for my dog too. I can't ever seem to play with him without hurting myself or getting dirty - probably both. The little mutt compromised my status as a vegan the other day when he gave me a tongue sandwich

reply to post by GAOTU789


GAOTU789,

My own answer is roughly once an hour unless I am doing something that would cause that behavior to spike - cooking for example... handling raw foods and the like.

Unless you work in a field that would mandate such a high rate of handwashing - such as the medical field, food service, or animal handling, I'm thinking you might have a touch of the OCD!

Depends what I'm doing. I wash my hands when I need to like: cooking (multiple times during prep and after), After riding the bus, shopping, before and after a meal, before washing my face and after using the bathroom. If I get something on my hands I will then. Its all about what you do in a day and how much you care about hygiene.

I have OCD so When I cook I wash my hands after each time I cut a different vegetable, and after handling each individual piece of meat. I pick up one piece then I have to wash my hands in order to touch a different one. during one meal I can wash my hands in an upwards of 10-20 times. Making salad is a pain... same with stir fry.

reply to post by Xiamara


I tend to do that when im cut up vegetables and then cut up meat, or vice versa. I have no idea why, but i just do it, lol.

Generally though, I wash my hands a lot. Especially when I have the flu. Dont want to pass on the germs

reply to post by OzWeatherman


Very true when I'm sick, and if I'm not in bed drowning in my own nasal fluids, I will wash my hands a lot. If I'm dead sick I'm in bed with tissues in my hair because it hurts too much to move and get it out of my hair... So I'm much less likely to go and walk to the bathroom to wash my hands after blowing my nose...

Originally posted by GAOTU789
reply to post by TheAssociate

 

my hands would be very dry and start to crack. Hurt like hell working with some ingredients to have those little cracks on your hands.

Please refer to your signature.

reply to post by SnakeShot


SnakeShot, that is funny. Roseanne is the ultimate whiner.

I seem to fall in the mid category. However, anytime I am dealing with substances that get on your hands, food, soil, etc., I am renowned for repeatedly washing my hands. Bordering on OCD.

Does using that alcohol based hand cleanser that dries on your hands count?
If so quite often, or whenever a nappy needs changing. Other than that I normally give my hands a rinse after all the normal activities, when cooking, after using the bog that kind of thing.
Sometimes I even clean them when they are dirty.