when you go for a pee ...

When you go for a pee, when should you wash your hands? Before/ after/ both/ neither?

dave8

Edited By david bennett 8 on 13/07/2023 12:24:35

Edited By david bennett 8 on 13/07/2023 12:25:38

I remember it being said that:

Men with clean ####s wash their hands before

Men with dirty ####s wash their hands after

MichaelG.

If you've been chopping chillies both

You missed out 'during'

Ian P (no pun intended!)

Seriously though, as befits this august forum (!) .... beforehand if your hands are contaminated with mineral oil, solvents and the like.

Cancer of the scrotum used to be quite a common industrial disease, though mainly from the habit of carrying oily rags in dirty overall pockets.

I gather that same habit was once found the cause of an unusually high incidence of cervical cancer in one of the American industrial cities - the link was the husbands' poor personal hygiene back home after work in a filthy factory.

It used to be said that the difference between a Doctor and an Engineer was that one washed their hands after going to the toiulet, the other before!

Howard

I am with Nigel G. If my hands are dirty, before, largely because I want my trousers to stay reasonably clean.

Afterwards is a well-engrained habit. You are not going to catch anything from your own willy, but if it is somebody else's WC, you don't know how clean the handle is. (Rather like supermarket trollies!)

When I started my apprenticeship in 1980, it was very much impressed on us to wash hands before. The message reinforced by some very graphic photos of the potential consquences of not doing so.

Back in my student apprentice days, the safety briefing before we were allowed in the mechanical workshop included the instruction to wash before and after. After, obviously, but also before because "oil can cause cancer of the scrotum. You know what cancer of the scrotum means? Bits drop off!" Might not have been accurate but certainly memorable.

Caught on as a catch phrase among us apprentices. Whatever someone was doing, "Wouldn't do that if I were you." "Why not?" "Bits drop off!"

I would say before and after, and the other thing is should you get rid of top layer of clothes, easy with overall, in case some nasty little chip(s) made its way to your hands before.

My understanding is (may be wrong of course ! ) That toilet seats & handles don't normally provide a good surface for germs to remain active for long due to their (normally ) high sheen.

I wonder if the same can be said of touchscreens considering how many staff in shops & cafes etc use their phones regularly (including when ON the toilet) and I doubt if they wash their hands in-between texting and serving?

A point to ponder I think

Enjoy your next café bacon sarnie.

I might add, "before" after playing billiards: you wouldn't want to get chalk on the wrong cue.

They used to say that when tested bowls of bar peanuts also contained urine

I insist the Groom of the Close Stool wear gloves. It's vital I don't catch anything nasty off a mere aristocrat...

Did Anyone here try to scrub black water proof or marine grease off of sensitive parts?

Great care should be taken to keep such an important part in good working order. Clean hands should be a requirement before handling and after the task is completed washing hands is important. Particularly with urinals a bit of splash and small droplets can be produced so after the purple headed warrior is put safely away wash hands. Take care with turning on the taps in an unfamiliar washroom as some are not throttled and splashed trousers can be rather embarrassing.
Mike

A friend broke both his wrists falling off a motorbike, I imagine his dear wife had this task. Fortunately he was off work until his wrists healed.

Mike

Splashed trousers?

Cure is to always wear black or navy blue so splashes don't show as well as on light coloured trousers.

If while at the urinal you cannot see what you're holding in your filthy hand, then you have a big problem - either one is too small or the other (beer gut) is too big!

Is it a coincidence that, as I write, the adjacent post - from Margaret - is titled 'Safety Gloves'?

Thanks for your comments. They are in line with my own thinking. I asked because many years ago I was freelancing a dirty job at an industrial warehouse. Going to the loo was definitely a two wash job. But I got many a dodgy look from people (office workers) who came in as ifinished the pre-loo wash, then went to the urinal. On one occasion I walked into the loo with a fork lift driver I knew. Foolishly I explained my behaviour with the old quip "I wouldn't touch yours with hands like this, let alone mine" I then had to explain that it was not an offer.

dave8