Are men really dirtier than women?

[Gabrielle]

I saw this article in today's edition of the Kennebec Journal:

Posted on Thursday, September 22, 2005

Men's hands dirtier than women's, study says

By LAURAN NEERGAARD

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Men are dirtier than women. So scientists confirmed by spying in public restrooms, watching as one-quarter of men left without washing their hands.

The worst offenders were at an Atlanta Braves game.

In contrast, 90 percent of the women did wash up.

Wednesday's results mark the American Society of Microbiology's latest look at how many people take what is considered the single easiest step to staying healthy: spending 20 seconds rubbing with soap under the faucet.

It also explains why these infection experts tend to use paper towels to open bathroom doors. There is no telling what germs the person before you left on the knob.

''It's a gamble,'' said microbiologist Judy Daly of Primary Children's Medical Center in Salt Lake City, the society's secretary.

Back in 1996, the society first studied how often people follow mom's advice to always wash up after using the toilet. Researchers lingered in public restrooms, putting on makeup or combing their hair, while surreptitiously counting. They concluded about one-third of people did not wash.

The group sponsored an education campaign about how hand-washing can stop the spread of flu, diarrhea and other infectious diseases. Every few years, researchers repeat the spying.

This time, 83 percent of people washed, reported Harris Interactive, a research company that last month monitored more than 6,300 public restroom users for the society.

For complete article, follow the link:

http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/living/health/12712019.htm

 

[matthyaouw]

Misleading title

 

[Lisa!]

Yeah, I think they are dirtier! Even mentally.

 

[sean1234]

Why is it necessary to wash ones hands after urinating? Isn't urine sterile? I make a point of touching nothing in a public bathroom, I imagine the faucet handles are quite filthy too.

 

[Evo]

There can also be blood in urine, which could transmit disease.

 

[TRCSF]

As an undergrad I used to work as a janitor.

Women's restrooms were invariably dirtier than men's restrooms.

Can't blame them for washing their hands more.

 

[Genecks]

Yeah, I think they are dirtier! Even mentally.

I beg to differ.

 

[arildno]

Why is it necessary to wash ones hands after urinating? Isn't urine sterile? I make a point of touching nothing in a public bathroom, I imagine the faucet handles are quite filthy too.

Next time you're shaking another guy's hand, say in an off-hand way "I just fondled my penis while urinating, and didn't bother to wash off afterwards, you don't mind that do you?"

You will be a first-hand witness to a very interesting reaction.

 

[Lisa!]

I beg to differ.

Why? Don't you see the result of the research?

 

[honestrosewater]

Wow, I'm surprised that they found so many people washing their hands. My guess would have been much lower.
I wash my hands religiously.

 

[sean1234]

Maybe socially it's not desirable, but there is no threat to you if someone goes number 1 doesn't wash their hands, then shakes your hand. It is not something I would desire, but I won't worry about it. Really I would rather shake someones hand who has just fondled his penis, risk that so called contamination over the many other far more undesirables that come in contact with your hand every day.

 

[Moonbear]

Why is it necessary to wash ones hands after urinating? Isn't urine sterile?

I would presume if you're male that you're not holding your hand in your urine stream but holding the outside of your penis to direct the urine flow. Also, urine is not sterile if it is passing through an infected bladder or urethra.

 

[arildno]

Choose for yourself.
If you think the faucet handles are filthy, you might use some toilet paper to open and close them.

 

[TRCSF]

Choose for yourself.
If you think the faucet handles are filthy, you might use some toilet paper to open and close them.

How sterile is toilet paper?

I mean it's pretty clean when it rolls off the assembly line, but don't people usually tough the part of the roll that they don't use when ripping off the part that they do use?

 

[Lisa!]

I think we should wear gloves when we want to shake someone's hand or perhaps use tissue!

 

[wolram]

.I wash my hands religiously.

As do i, before and after, not during, hopefully

 

[whozum]

Misleading title

You and me both, let's sue for false advertising.

 

[honestrosewater]

As do i, before and after, not during, hopefully

Before? Ah, bacon bits are always Robin Hood for a bubble bath.

 

[wolram]

Before? Ah, bacon bits are always Robin Hood for a bubble bath.

 

[Gabrielle]

Choose for yourself.
If you think the faucet handles are filthy, you might use some toilet paper to open and close them.

I work for the Bureau of Health and that's why this article was of particular interest to me. I know people that won't even touch the handle on the toilet. Instead, they flush the toilet with their shoe. I'm sure this isn't a common practice but some people also take a piece of toilet paper and flush it so their hands don't have to touch the handle. Of course, many office buildings have toilets that flush by themselves.

I realize that there is such a thing as being obsessive about cleanliness but it's better than not using good hygiene practices at all. I've always been diligent about washing my hands and I very rarely get a cold. Years have gone by without my getting a single, solitary cold so I think it helps to wash your hands as often as possible.

 

[selfAdjoint]

Wow, I wash my hands religiously.

And do you pray to the soap god then?

 

[honestrosewater]

And do you pray to the soap god then?

Yes, for strength - and to the germ god for mercy. Doesn't everyone?

 

[Huckleberry]

Don't worry honestrosewater. You are not alone. Have you heard the mantra of the Cult of Soap? "Cleanliness is next to Godliness."

After looking them up I see they are about 200 pages apart in my dictionary. I wonder what they mean.

 

[matthyaouw]

I know people that won't even touch the handle on the toilet. Instead, they flush the toilet with their shoe.

I may have to become one of them, now that i know that the stuff from the floor gets put on the handle

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

I may have to become one of them, now that i know that the stuff from the floor gets put on the handle

Actually I've used my shoe many times, mostly when using the bathroom in a george webbs or some greasy truck stop.

 

[matthyaouw]

Congratulations guys, you've just given me another aversion.

 

[juvenal]

I wash my hands after posting in GD.

 

[Andy]

After all of those things that you come into contact with during your average day, don't you think it would be a good idea to wash your hands before and after you urinate?

 

[Gabrielle]

I may have to become one of them, now that i know that the stuff from the floor gets put on the handle

Yes, you've got a good point. They're not being very considerate of other people by transferring the dirt from the floor and the bottom of their shoe to the handle.

 

[Gabrielle]

I also found a related article in the same newspaper. It's from the Scripps Howard News Service:

Every parent knows that elementary schools are notorious germ factories.

But professional microbiologists associated with the nonprofit "Scrub Club" did an experiment with a typical elementary school this month and found fewer germs in places where they might be expected--restrooms, desk tops and on door handles--and far more where they didn't expect to find them.

Cafeteria trays, for example, had 10 times the germs found on toilet seats, and higher levels were also found on headphones and computer keyboards. But the highest amount of bacteria was found on the spigot of a drinking fountain--2.7 million bacterial cells per square inch.

"This was just a snapshot in time of an average classroom at the beginning of the year," said Jerry Bowman, director of communications for a nonprofit agency that runs the Scrub Club, a partner with the government's Fight BAC program to reduce bacterial infections in children ages 3 through 8.

With the annual flu season beginning next month, Bowman said the findings should be a lesson to teachers and parents about the importance of proper hand washing. The Centers for Disease Control estimates there are 164 million school days lost to illness each year, which could be reduced with proper hand washing.

"We're trying to educate children on the most important public health thing they can do--wash their hands properly," he said.

The Scrub Club is trying to tell children not to just swish their hands under water, but follow a five step procedure that includes rubbing soapy hands for 20 seconds--twice the time it takes to sing Happy Birthday--and using a nail brush.

I'm not sure about the nail brush part unless you've been working in the garden or on a greasy car. I do think that people should spend more than just a "moment in time" to wash their hands properly.

 

[Huckleberry]

A few years ago I was watching the Tonight Show and he had a teacher on there from Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts who taught a course in proper handwashing. Leno was polite, ofcourse, but the whole scene was a spoof on her and the school and the absurdity of the class. The school has since stopped offering the class.

 

[Genecks]

I was my hands to avoid consuming arsenic.

About the only reason since I've watched detective conan. I don't want a woman I love to kill me by accident when I truly love her and it becomes too late for her to find out.

 

[EnumaElish]

I think we should wear gloves when we want to shake someone's hand or perhaps use tissue!

Oh, the perverse Western custom of taking off one's gloves for shaking hands!

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

I've had a couple jobs where I had to clean the woman's restroom. They are ALWAYS more filthy than the mens room. Used toilet paper and used female hygiene products on the floor. AND the most annoying thing of all is that so many of them leave urine on the toilet seat because they 'hover' over the toilet instead of sitting on it. And why do they do this? Because of all the other broads like them that 'hover' over the toilet seats and leave urine on them!

Anyway while I always wash my hands I have no especial fear of germs. Back when I was pushing shopping carts and handling money I used to get sick at least once a year. In the past three years or so I haven't been sick once. There are certain things that carry quite a bit of germs and as long as you aren't over exposed to them you should be fine. Unless ofcourse your immune system are a bunch of pansies because you have been over protective of germ exposure.

 

[EnumaElish]

Maybe socially it's not desirable, but there is no threat to you if someone goes number 1 doesn't wash their hands, then shakes your hand. It is not something I would desire, but I won't worry about it. Really I would rather shake someones hand who has just fondled his penis, risk that so called contamination over the many other far more undesirables that come in contact with your hand every day.

What about STDs?

 

[EnumaElish]

I've had a couple jobs where I had to clean the woman's restroom. They are ALWAYS more filthy than the mens room. Used toilet paper and used female hygiene products on the floor. AND the most annoying thing of all is that so many of them leave urine on the toilet seat because they 'hover' over the toilet instead of sitting on it. And why do they do this? Because of all the other broads like them that 'hover' over the toilet seats and leave urine on them!

That's not unsanitary in itself.

 

[EnumaElish]

I was my hands to avoid consuming arsenic.

About the only reason since I've watched detective conan. I don't want a woman I love to kill me by accident when I truly love her and it becomes too late for her to find out.

Yeah, and you should also wait until she takes the first bite or sip. Not to mention goes to sleep before and wakes up after you.

 

[EnumaElish]

Women's restrooms were invariably dirtier than men's restrooms.

This makes me perversely aroused -- only slightly. Can you give any details?

P.S. I am trying to get to the bottom of the definition of dirtiness. I have seen men's bathrooms with the whole floor covered with urine smelling dampness. How can you beat that?

 

[matthyaouw]

I have seen men's bathrooms with the whole floor covered with urine smelling dampness. How can you beat that?

I've seen this too. I really have wondered how men do this... Surely their aim can't be that bad, and I've never seen a man simply pee all over the floor.

 

[hypermorphism]

I've seen this too. I really have wondered how men do this... Surely their aim can't be that bad, and I've never seen a man simply pee all over the floor.

I've seen a lot worse than just a damp floor. The creation of bathroom monstrosities must be an X-file somewhere.

 

[gravenewworld]

You can get Hepatitis from not washing your hands after going to the b room.

 

[Moonbear]

It's also a good way to spread staph infections. Don't wash your hands after using the restroom, go eat lunch, transfer bacteria from your butt to your mouth...yum.

 

[djeipa]

Moonbear, are you busy these days with new students coming to your lab?

 

[Moonbear]

Moonbear, are you busy these days with new students coming to your lab?

Nope, busy with me being new to my lab.

 

[Artman]

Back in 1996, the society first studied how often people follow mom's advice to always wash up after using the toilet. Researchers lingered in public restrooms, putting on makeup or combing their hair, while surreptitiously counting. They concluded about one-third of people did not wash.

Of course they would have washed their hands, but there was this creepy person lingering there counting.

 

[Gabrielle]

I've even heard people comment that they don't like to dine at restaurants because they're afraid that the kitchen doesn't follow proper hygiene practices.

 

[EnumaElish]

I always try to be nice to the waitre(ss). You never know how retaliatory they can be. (That's on top of my realization that they are there to earn an honest living and don't deserve to be dumped on by the customers.)

 

[Gabrielle]

I always try to be nice to the waitre(ss). You never know how retaliatory they can be. (That's on top of my realization that they are there to earn an honest living and don't deserve to be dumped on by the customers.)

I'm not sure what you're trying to say here. Is this is response to my post about dining at restaurants? I wasn't suggesting that customers ask the waiter or waitress about the hygiene practices of the kitchen staff. What do you mean by saying, "You never know how retaliatory they can be"? If I complained about something, (I have sent things back to the kitchen before), I would do it in a respectful manner, quietly and patiently.

 

[El Hombre Invisible]

It's not unfeasible for a gent to relieve himself without needing to lay hands upon his weapon directly. You can spot the adopters of this technique by their Elvis-like hip wiggle. Beyond that, I've often wondered about the necessity for hand-washing after a stand-up. So long as there is no ricochet effect, which is a danger, what precisely are we washing off? As long as we keep our equipment squeaky clean, and those who are always (maybe over-optimistically) prepared for an impromptu early birthday treat do just that, then the recipient of our shaky-handy greeting has more to worry about the germs already on our hands, whether they were recently in physical contact with our pride and joy or not. Agree or no?

 

[Artman]

A couple was sitting at a table in a fancy restaurant and they noticed that all the male waiters all had a string hanging out of their trouser zipper and a spoon in their vest pocket. As the evening went on the couple got more and more curious about this. So they decided to ask their waiter about the string and the spoon.

The waiter slightly embarrassed said, "Well, the owner had an efficiency expert come in and evaluate us. The expert said that too much time was spend running for spoons when someone would drop one, so he said we should each carry one."

The man said, "Okay, but what about the string?"

"Well, he also said that we could save a lot of time if we tied a string to our penis. That way, when we used the bathroom we could just pull down our zipper and pull on the string to go, without touching ourself and save cleanup time."

At this point, a lady sitting at the next table drops her spoon and three waiters take the spoon out of their vest to hand to her.

The man then says, "Okay, I can see how the string could help you get your penis out, but how do you put it back in?"

"I don't know about the other guys, but I just use the spoon."