Any obsessive handwashers out there?

[Drakkith]

I used to wash mine about 15-20 times per day but now it is like 35 times per day and if I am cooking something that requires preparation of raw meat it's probably 45+ times. I usually only have issues in the winter, but now with this escalated hand washing I'm not sure how it will be for other seasons.

Sweet jesus.

 

[AlephZero]

Maybe you need to stop and think how any of your ancestors survived at all, without all these modern aids to hygene. And they all DID survive, over thousands if not millions of years, otherwise you wouldn't be here at all.

There was a lot of sense in the saying from my grandparent's time - "you have to eat a peck of dirt before it kills you". That's a peck as in 2 gallons, not one grain of birdseed.

 

[Evo]

While it's prudent to wash your hands out in public to avoid picking up germs if you tend to put your hands in your mouth, or handle food that goes directly into your mouth after touching things strangers touch. You stand lest risk in your own home. Still wash after going to the bathroom, but otherwise at home, unless you're handling questionable foods like raw chicken, you shouldn't worry as much. Also, the amount of time you spend, the heat of the water, these can stirp your hands of essntial, protective oils.

I simply rub petroleum jelly on the backs of my hands especially at night when i won't be washing it off immediately, you can slather your hands with it and put on thin clean cotton gloves at night if your hands are in really bad shape, you will be astonished at the improvement in the morning. But if the cuts are open and bleeding like dl's I'd dab neosporin on them.

 

[jhae2.718]

Maybe you need to stop and think how any of your ancestors survived at all, without all these modern aids to hygene. And they all DID survive, over thousands if not millions of years, otherwise you wouldn't be here at all.

There was a lot of sense in the saying from my grandparent's time - "you have to eat a peck of dirt before it kills you". That's a peck as in 2 gallons, not one grain of birdseed.

I think this bears repeating...

 

[russ_watters]

Maybe you need to stop and think how any of your ancestors survived at all, without all these modern aids to hygene. And they all DID survive, over thousands if not millions of years...

But few of them more than 40 years. Modern hygiene and sanitation is one of the great advances of humanity that is primarily responsible for the doubling of human lifespans over the past 120 years or so.

 

[ChiralWaltz]

I have had some real problems with dry hands and cracking cuticles in the dry winter seasons since I was a child. Aveeno is the best brand I know, recommended by a friend of mine. No messy residue, soaks in quickly, no fragrance, and it lasts a while. It is also extremely cheap compared to other products on the skin care market.

It has 139x 5 star reviews on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Active-Naturals-Moisturizing-18-Ounce/product-reviews/B001E96L6I/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

If I'm really hurting (can't type, write or whatever without wincing), I use the Skin Relief Formula. The SR Formula tends to be more greasy than Daily.

https://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Active-Naturals-Relief-Moisturizing/product-&tag=pfamazon01-20reviews/B0013OJUY4/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

 

[HeLiXe]

But few of them more than 40 years. Modern hygiene and sanitation is one of the great advances of humanity that is primarily responsible for the doubling of human lifespans over the past 120 years or so.

I think this bears repeating

 

[HeLiXe]

Sweet jesus.

lol

Maybe you need to stop and think how any of your ancestors survived at all, without all these modern aids to hygene. And they all DID survive, over thousands if not millions of years, otherwise you wouldn't be here at all.

There was a lot of sense in the saying from my grandparent's time - "you have to eat a peck of dirt before it kills you". That's a peck as in 2 gallons, not one grain of birdseed.

I have an aunt who says "dirt can't kill you unless it falls on you" in large quantity of course.

While it's prudent to wash your hands out in public to avoid picking up germs if you tend to put your hands in your mouth, or handle food that goes directly into your mouth after touching things strangers touch. You stand lest risk in your own home. Still wash after going to the bathroom, but otherwise at home, unless you're handling questionable foods like raw chicken, you shouldn't worry as much. Also, the amount of time you spend, the heat of the water, these can stirp your hands of essntial, protective oils.

I simply rub petroleum jelly on the backs of my hands especially at night when i won't be washing it off immediately, you can slather your hands with it and put on thin clean cotton gloves at night if your hands are in really bad shape, you will be astonished at the improvement in the morning. But if the cuts are open and bleeding like dl's I'd dab neosporin on them.

Thanks Evo. Petroleum jelly does work wonders but I don't like the way it feels on my hands. The only time it doesn't bother me with gloves is when it is extremely cold like below 0C, but I might give it a try just to get my hands in a better state. Mineral oil also helps provide relief as it coats the skin, but I just prefer the lotion/creme texture. I also do not use hot/warm water to wash my hands because it really messes up my skin quickly.

I have had some real problems with dry hands and cracking cuticles in the dry winter seasons since I was a child. Aveeno is the best brand I know, recommended by a friend of mine. No messy residue, soaks in quickly, no fragrance, and it lasts a while. It is also extremely cheap compared to other products on the skin care market.

It has 139x 5 star reviews on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Active-Naturals-Moisturizing-18-Ounce/product-reviews/B001E96L6I/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

If I'm really hurting (can't type, write or whatever without wincing), I use the Skin Relief Formula. The SR Formula tends to be more greasy than Daily.

https://www.amazon.com/Aveeno-Active-Naturals-Relief-Moisturizing/product-&tag=pfamazon01-20reviews/B0013OJUY4/ref=dp_db_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Ah yes, Aveeno. Thanks Chiral Waltz. This is something that I see on a regular basis and I know I will have easy access to it.

 

[phion]

I always wash after taking my hand out of the pickle or olive jar, and especially the pepperoncini jar.

 

[Evo]

I always wash after taking my hand out of the pickle or olive jar, and especially the pepperoncini jar.

Do you wash it BEFORE sticking it into the jar?

 

[phion]

Do you wash it BEFORE sticking it into the jar?

Not usually.

 

[Evo]

Yeah helixe, i hate the greasy feeling from petroleum jelly to, which is why I wear it at night.

 

[Monique]

Antibacterial gel and antibacterial soap aren't the same thing though.

Ok, but using a gel does not equate to hand washing (the topic). In addition, gels should have at least 70% ethanol to be effective and that's a sure way to dry out hands.

 

[Curious3141]

Ok, but using a gel does not equate to hand washing (the topic).

Using alcohol based hand rubs (gel or liquid) is at least as effective in disinfecting hands as handwashing. *Except* for two caveats - firstly, the handrubs don't work well when there's organic debris on your hands. So if your hands are visibly soiled, wash. Secondly, alcohol is completely ineffective against spores. So if you're worried about spore-forming organisms like Clostridium spp., then washing is the only way.

 

[Monique]

Yeah, and in the case of having dogs ones hands get mostly greasy.

 

[turbo]

A fragrance-free, gentle liquid soap like Scent-Away is pretty handy for showering, hand-washing, etc. It is antibacterial, but not harsh, IMO. The soap is formulated for hunters, to leave no scent that could alert your prey.

My wife and I dilute it it ~50% or so and keep it in pump dispensers at the kitchen and bathroom sinks. It's nice to have an anti-bacterial soap available after you have handled raw chicken, meat, etc.

 

[AlephZero]

But few of them more than 40 years. Modern hygiene and sanitation is one of the great advances of humanity that is primarily responsible for the doubling of human lifespans over the past 120 years or so.

"Life expectancy from birth" can give a misleading idea, because it is skewed by high infant mortality rates, and young infants are biologically quite cheap to replace. Compare the changes in life expectancy for age 0 and the less dramatic rise from age 10: http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005140.html

For example in 1850, the expected age at death for a white male was 38 years at birth, but if he survived to age 10 it had increased to 58 years. Compare with the most recent data in taht table (2004) where the corresponding ages are 75.7 and 76.3 years.

It's a reasonable assumption that Helix is already more than 10 years old, so the "doubling of lifespan" statistic doesn't apply.

 

[rppc]

Thank you so much rppc! I will try to find this one as well, this is very helpful to me!

No problem!

If you do buy it, I recommend that you put it on before you go to bed, so that you won't wash it off immediately afterwards.

I usually spread it across the top of my hands, then put on some old socks in my hands to prevent it from making everything around sticky and from getting into my eyes during the night.

 

[FlexGunship]

There is a liquid product called New Skin. It has been around a long time. It helps to protect those nasty cuts and cracks until they heal.

I've not used that product. But in a pinch, I've used Super Glue (or some cyanoacrylate equivalent) - a bit dicey until it sets up, but very effective.

The first aid kit in my car, the one that I keep at home, and the one that goes with me on hikes contains many small tubes of cyanoacrylate. It is, by far, the best way to seal a clean wound. It can be a little annoying when it hardens, but it beats a Band-Aid(TM) by several thousand points. As a plus, I notice there's a tendency to leave more visible scars if it's a particularly deep cut.

I love finding the "20-packs" at Big Lots, or Ocean State Job Lot, or Family Dollar. So much cheaper, quicker, and convenient than adhesive bandages. Plus, I'm allowed to make fun of that Barry Manilow jingle (http://www.barrynethomepage.com/commercialjingles.html) because I don't use the product.

Almost?

I know what I wrote.

EDIT: Also, I don't like to use lotion on my hands much because then I get comments from girls along the lines of "Your hands are so soft." Which is basically an insult... and should serve to explain why I need my scars to be more prominent.

 

[turbo]

I don't wash my hands obsessively, but I do wash them every time, in certain circumstances. Got to put away clean dishes, silverware, or utensils? Wash up before doing so. Got to apply some triple-antibiotic ointment to an injury on my dog or myself? Wash up before. Too much soap or detergent can strip oils out of your skin, but there are times when you have to get aggressive. My grandfather always used Lava on his hands (heavy-equipment mechanic) though today there is Gojo that does the job for me when my hands are greasy. Nice orange scent, too.