Why do we wash our hands after going to the bathroom?
The most logical answer would be that hygiene demands it.
I do it; you do it; our friends do it; everyone does it. But really, how is modern toileting dirtier than any other activity? When we go inside the toilet, we don't touch anything other than our zipper, the toilet paper, and the flush handle. These objects don't exactly hold a plethora of germs. In fact, holding on to a jeepney rail and handling bills and coins may even be dirtier activities, the number of sweaty hands that have latched on to it considered.
I know it's a good idea to wash one's hands several times during the day. And understand that I don't plan on ever stopping from washing my hands after a trip to the toilet.
But let's step back and mentally challenge the after-a-visit-to-the-toilet handwashing paradigm, shall we? The toilet is not the dirtiest place on earth. In fact, the streets of Colon and the gutters of Carbon are hands-down dirtier. And unless we routinely splash about in the bowl, pee with our fingers, or sort through the toilet papers already lying rumpled and crumpled in the trash can, there is no reason why a visit to the loo would encrust our hands with germs.
I'm talking about how girls pee; I don't presume to be an expert on the male pee procedure. But really, is the male schlong that clogged with microbes and viruses?
Again, this does not mean that I would stop washing my hands. Or, that I would want my husband to stop washing his hands. Or, that I would want to shake hands with a guy who does not wash his hands after handling his genitals in the sacrosanct confines of the Male CR. I just want to know why we, (yes, me, included!) somehow hold this belief that unless we wash our hands post-toileting, we could possibly end up seeing the choirs of heaven eating technicolor sushi.
I think it’s one of those unspoken agreements in society. You can’t really get away from the fact you hand was near poo after you’ve been in the toilet. But you can pretend the dollar bill from the grocery clerk was never smeared w feces.
[...] A recent post by the very eloquent mixednuts explored the rather thorny issue of whether or not to wash one's hands after going to the toilet. I'm not above railing against toilet issues myself – especially toilet rules at work. In fact, it's only at work that it's an issue – after all what you do at home is your business. [...]
Simply, it’s GREAT!
In fact we should wash our hands before handling food or anything that we take orally. The reason why we emphatically encourage people to wash hands with clean water and soup after toilet visit is that feaces carry a lot of pathogenes that can be dangerous to human health and those that can cause deadly diseases like diarrhoea, amoebic dysentry etc. Again it is quite easy for a human being to eat feaces after anal cleansing as the toilet paper may get perforated and as a result fingers get contact with feaces unaware; so hand washing is encouraged to every one after toilet usage.
We have just had this very discussion at work. And, although I am a male I do question the ethics behind the washing hand brigade.
If Nchoba Moleko is correct in saying that ‘feaces carry a lot of pathogens that can be dangerous to our health’ then why don’t there harm us before we excrete them? The feaces spend hours forming in our bodies and cause us no harm whatsoever.
Also, 15,000 years ago early man/women didn’t was their hands and the human race seems to have survived quite well!
And recent test seem to suggest that our car steering wheels carry twice as many germs as a toilet seat.
Sorry to upset you girls, but I think this whole washing your hands in all in the mind!
I have thought about this recently..surely it makes more sense to wash your hands BEFORE you go to the toilet than after??
For men, they don’t pee on themselves (at least I don’t). What about oral sex? Don’t you think more come out during the act then while peeing? What makes my part so “dirty” while I pee? It’s locked up in my pants while I’m not using it. On the other hand (giggle) when I poop, I wash. That whole poop, paper, wipe action necessitates the washing.
well thats an excellant piece of post..
though i dont have any answer ,Y???
uhmm..
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