Is handwashing after the bathroom an American thing?

[averill94]

Just curious.... I was shocked at the amount of women that would just walk out with their kids and didn't wash after using the restroom. (Please note DH always comments about the men and most of them are pigs blah blah blah....) But I have to say I noticed wuite a bit of women not washing and a number of them didn't speak English.

So not looking to be flamed just asking.

p.s. I know there are a handful of stalls that have their own sinks but these did not.

I also laughed when a lady was arguing with her little boys about why they just won't was their hands! They sounded American.

I am really just curious.
Thanks

 

[bellebud]

I do think americans, on a whole, are 'cleaner' than a lot of other countries (not all of course). I remember when I visited england/ireland, I was really surprised at the difference. They didn't clean restaurant tables much between customers, bathrooms weren't cleaned the way we clean them here, and general personal hygene was different (people, on a whole, didn't shower every day like everyone I know does). And yes, I certainly know dirty/smelly rotfl: ) americans too, but the majority of people I know are clean. The difference might even have something to do w/ house setups over there (the person I stayed w/ grew up with 9 kids and 2 parents, and 1 bathroom). And that was the norm. I remember his mom telling me how they just installed an electric water heater for the shower, so now in the spring/summer/fall, when they completely turned off the household heating system, they could still have hot showers if they wanted. This was an exciting thing for her. This was in 1991. And this family was also fairly well off financially.

also something to consider - a lot of times, my kids and I will use my purell instead of a sink if the sink is gross, or we need to get out of there fast for whatever reason (kids fighting, we're in a rush, too many people in there, etc). So maybe that's the case sometimes too?

I also remember reading on here a few years ago, how it was a cultural thing for some people to not care about flushing and to even pile the used toilet paper in the corner instead of in the toilet and flushing. I really couldn't believe it, but I do remember reading it (the thread was people complaining about the disgusting bathroom habits of some).

just pointing out some differences i've noticed over the years. oh, and aren't americans also more germophobic than most other countries? so we'd be more likely to be washing up all the time. i know i fall under that category - I've taught my kids to push elevator buttons w/ their elbows or knuckles, never fingertips, and to flush w/ their foot, use their shirts to cover their fingers when locking the bathroom stall door, etc. They're pretty good at it. I am all for exposing to germs to build immune systems, but touching a lock that could have urine or many other things on it isn't my idea of good germ exposure, it's just nasty!

 

[luvmy3]

When we were at WDW I was waiting for dd to come out of the stall when a woman came out of another one. She was very clean and very well dressed (not the basic tank and shorts that I had on). She didn't even go near the sinks, she just walked out. I was shocked, she was in the stall when dd and I walked into the bathroom so I assume she must have done her business. Even if she didn', she had to touch the door and the lock.
Anyway OP, I never really gave much thought about coming from different cultures, but I do notice woman everywhere not washing after coming from the bathroom stall

 

[purvislets]

Usually, in such public places such as Disney, I will use a hand sanitizer once out of the bathroom. I can't imagine that the faucets and sinks are totally hygenic there.

 

[PrincessMama605]

I admit to being a germophobe!
I am always suprised by the amount of women I see (especially at restaurants!) who walk out of the stall and then skip the sinks. Sometimes with my dd its easier to just use hand sanitizer instead, maybe others do this too?
I am a bartender and this one girl I worked with, we happened to be in the bathroom at the same time once and she didn't bother to wash her hands. I know that most restaurants and bars have the mandatory employees handwashing signs, but how many of the employees really do?
Eww, I am grossed out just thinking about it.

 

[PattnFmly]

Unfortunately, I find that even at work there's too many people that don't wash their hands after using the stall. And I work in a hospital! And we have no excuse .. the water is automatic with a wave of the hand, the soap is automatic with a wave of the hand, and the paper towels are automatic too! Only thing not is the door handle. I know some of the bathrooms at Disney are now automatic too, especially the newer ones. We use hand sanitizer at parks too (not just WDW), but basically only before eating or before getting that delicious popcorn snack!

 

[Mickey's biggest fan]

As a Canadian, I have to say that handwashing is NOT only an American thing. Some people are just more sanitary IMO than others, not necessarily a country thing.

 

[RMulieri]

Truthfully, in a couple of those bathrroms i saw i went outside after going and used my sanitizer.The one bathroom I saw in Epcot, had 1 working sink out of several, and it was filthy with sopping wet paper towels, and a line of people.I also saw a woman holding her kids poopy butt in the sink and just letting chunks of poop plop into it,as she tried to rinse said childs butt off.(sorry for the gross, and I am not kidding)I am sure there are people that do not wash or use sanitizer.I will use the sinks most of the time, but in those 2 instances me and dd enjoyed my bottle of purell.

 

[npmommie]

also something to consider - a lot of times, my kids and I will use my purell instead of a sink if the sink is gross, or we need to get out of there fast for whatever reason (kids fighting, we're in a rush, too many people in there, etc).
I've taught my kids to push elevator buttons w/ their elbows or knuckles, never fingertips, and to flush w/ their foot, use their shirts to cover their fingers when locking the bathroom stall door, etc. They're pretty good at it. I am all for exposing to germs to build immune systems, but touching a lock that could have urine or many other things on it isn't my idea of good germ exposure, it's just nasty!

we use purell a lot too depending on the looks of the sink area.
one of those talk shows did a segment where they tested different things for germiness.........and the elevator buttons, door knobs and handles were contaminated. the toilet seats were clean.

Truthfully, in a couple of those bathrroms i saw i went outside after going and used my sanitizer.The one bathroom I saw in Epcot, had 1 working sink out of several, and it was filthy with sopping wet paper towels, and a line of people.I also saw a woman holding her kids poopy butt in the sink and just letting chunks of poop plop into it,as she tried to rinse said childs butt off.(sorry for the gross, and I am not kidding)I am sure there are people that do not wash or use sanitizer.I will use the sinks most of the time, but in those 2 instances me and dd enjoyed my bottle of purell.

omg at the poopy butt. how completely unsanitary for her to do that. why didnt she just hold him over the toilet for the poop to plop in there!!!

 

[averill94]

Blahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......heebie jeebies

Wow after reading the responses you may have converted me to just usig Purell after

 

[lmillercrew]

Truthfully, in a couple of those bathrroms i saw i went outside after going and used my sanitizer.The one bathroom I saw in Epcot, had 1 working sink out of several, and it was filthy with sopping wet paper towels, and a line of people.I also saw a woman holding her kids poopy butt in the sink and just letting chunks of poop plop into it,as she tried to rinse said childs butt off.(sorry for the gross, and I am not kidding)I am sure there are people that do not wash or use sanitizer.I will use the sinks most of the time, but in those 2 instances me and dd enjoyed my bottle of purell.

GROSS!! Who DOES that??? EWWW!!! I have taught my children to wash and not touch the door handle after they wash because A LOT of people don't wash. DH was at a football game and came out of the bathroom and told me of a guy in there that did major business and left without washing. He said the guy must like poop particles on his hand. GROSS!! People at rest areas gross me out too.
As far as different countries and cultures, I can only speak of Mexico. I know, from visiting there, that in most of the places I've been you don't flush the toilet paper because their sewers aren't equiped like the U.S. But, most of the stalls have waste baskets for that purpose. I just think that it's a people thing, not a cultural thing. Some people just to think and are gross.

 

[Zeebs]

Now let me think...... NO it isn't just Americans that wash their hands speaking as a New Zealander, who lives in the UK and has also lived in Australia we are no more dirty than Americans.

Apart from third world countries, where their problems are more than not washing your hands after going to the bathroom, the rest of the world's population is no more clean or dirty than Americans.

I always wash my hands after the bathroom, I touch the door on the way out, I don't clean everything my children or I touch or freak out if they happen to eat some dirt or something they are not suppose to. We are hardly ever sick apart from the odd cold.

Just another reason I guess to bar those dirty foreigners from WDW, we don't wash our hands, we can't wait in lines, we sit in the middle of the row, we speak different languages which for some reason annoys people ???? the list goes on.

Maybe if people stopped using Epcots World showcase as their only experience of other countries, they would not be so quick to ask these types of questions.

Kirsten

 

[bavaria]

And people wonder why I say we are called 'dirty foreigners' here?

OP, certainly this was intended as a joke thread. I cannot fathom the arrogance to assume that cleanliness is reserved for a certain nationality. I have travelled all over the world, including in developing countries, and can assure you that Americans do not have some form of superiority when it comes to cleanliness. In fact, I am often disgusted by what I see in America, compared to what I see in other countries. Try a 'Sanifair' washroom in Germany some day and you will be surprised.

I must agree with Zeebs - perhaps if one expanded one's horizons one would learn some insight (as well as some humility).

This is frankly one of the most insulting and arrogant threads I have read here in quite some time, and I truly hope that the OP intended this as some sort of a joke. I cannot respond further without putting myself in danger of an infraction, so I will leave it at that.

 

[crashbb]

The difference might even have something to do w/ house setups over there (the person I stayed w/ grew up with 9 kids and 2 parents, and 1 bathroom). And that was the norm.

Having traveled and lived extensively in Ireland and Great Britain, I can say that 11 people and 1 bathroom is definitely not the norm, anymore than it is in the US.

I've taught my kids to push elevator buttons w/ their elbows or knuckles, never fingertips, and to flush w/ their foot, use their shirts to cover their fingers when locking the bathroom stall door, etc.

Great, so the rest of us, who flush with our hands, now have all the dirt and crap that you and your kids have walked through all over our hands - thanks.

I must agree with Bavaria and Zeebs - many of you are coming across as very narrow-minded and ethno-centric, though hopefully you don't realise what you sound like.

 

[RMulieri]

I don't know about anybody else but ,I never said anything about Americans being superior in the bathroom sanitation realm.I just responded that just because you don't see someone wash, don't assume they don't.I use purell after 2 specific instances I stated.Like I said people with poor hygiene can come from all walks of life and nationalities.Fwiw, the woman washing her kids butt in the sink was American.Sorry if you were offended.

 

[minkydog]

I don't think this is a quirk of nationality (really? ) A LOT of people, Americans included, don't wash their hands after using the toilet. A study was done about 4 years ago in American airports. what they found is that though 98% of the people claimed to have washed their hands after using the toilet, actually only 65-70% really did wash their hands. Can you say hepatitis?

I think people just don't think there is a danger. Or they think they didn't really touch anything (!) so they'll just skip it. I'm not a germaphobe, but I know that soap & water will kill most of the stuff I need to be worried about.

 

[bavaria]

I am really just curious.
Thanks

May I suggest then that you pose the question on the UK, Canadian and/or Spanish language forums then as that is where many foreigners post.

 

[bellebud]

Great, so the rest of us, who flush with our hands, now have all the dirt and crap that you and your kids have walked through all over our hands - thanks.

You're very welcome! Why should I or anyone else touch the toilet flusher? After people take care of their business, that is what they touch FIRST, before the bathroom stall door, before the sink, before the door handle... I can assume it has the most germs on it, not to mention all the germs that whirl up into the air when the toilet gets flushed. And just so you know, I also use my foot when possible to open door handles (i'm pretty flexible), so i'll just say 'you're welcome' for that too.

 

[Beth E. (NJ)]

I thought this thread might go bad.

Please note that the DISboards do not permit discrimation against any race/nationality/ethnic group/country of origin. I am closing this thread before it becomes a fight. Thanks all for understanding.