Question about hygiene in the kitchen - inappropriate hand washing

[KateH21]

This is a dumb question, sorry. I admittedly have mild OCD about cleanliness. I have a hard time recognizing the line between OCD and being properly hygienic while cooking, if that makes sense. In the winter months I bake a lot of cookies where I'm directly touching the dough with my hands. I wash my hands so much in between batches that my hands look 40 years older than what they are - full of wrinkles.

I think people should always wash their hands before touching food, especially when mixing dough by hand. I also think people should wash their hands after they use the toilet, blow their nose, touch their hair, skin, or clothes - while cooking. If I'm cooking for only myself, I'm not so strict about hygiene. If I'm cooking for others, especially for people who don't live with me, I am very strict. I have pets and if I cook for people outside my household, I will put on a clean shirt to reduce the risk of pet hair in the food. It's inevitable it will end up in there anyway, I just want to reduce the risks as much as possible.

I don't think it's appropriate for people to dry or wipe their hands on their clothes or boxer shorts while cooking. I don't think it's appropriate to taste food with a spoon then stick that same spoon back into the food that others will be eating from, that's gross. Obviously, cross contamination of anything that touched raw meat is not safe.

Is there anyone here who is particular about cleanliness while cooking? Do you have family or friends that you know are not hygienic while cooking and you refuse to eat anything they make? I'm just curious.

My elderly father gets offended when I won't eat his cooking. But I caught him blowing his nose without washing his hands afterwards. He also wipes his wet hands on his boxer shorts. Some amount of germs are certainly healthy, but this is just gross in my opinion.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Why not buy a pack of disposable plastic gloves to wear when you make cookies?

I’m squeamish about eating at potlucks, buffets, etc…

When it comes to family and friends it’s all about the way they live, which is more important to me than maintaining a sterile laboratory environment.

I have this tile hanging in my kitchen and it about covers it for me.

 

[blissful]

I'm a stickler about washing hands while cooking and even more when canning food.
After mr bliss retired he started helping in the kitchen, right around the beginning of covid. So the whole handwashing, washing everything in fear of covid was going on.

I still remind him or ask him if he did wash his hands before helping. He's gotten so much better and it's more of a habit for him now. He knows better than to taste on a spoon and put it back in the pot-it goes right into the soapy sink water. Good habits to have.

 

[GotGarlic]

Just referring to your own home, when I had hip replacement surgery, they told me they want to get people home ASAP because their bodies are used to the germs in their own homes. I keep things clean, but I don't obsess about it.

 

[jennyema]

Just referring to your own home, when I had hip replacement surgery, they told me they want to get people home ASAP because their bodies are used to the germs in their own homes. I keep things clean, but I don't obsess about it.

I’m also a huge stickler for food safety including washing hands.

How’d the hip replacement go? I’ll probably have one in a few months…

 

[dragnlaw]

When cooking with or for others I'm greatly aware how I and the others act with and around the food. When I'm cooking for myself and it is my food for me to eat... my germs, my body, don't sweat it.
When I have others around I make sure to wash my hands for them to notice when I come from the washroom... and I expect them to do the same.

During covid - farm country was pretty free, in towns not so much. Had 3 girls over one night. Before they got here I wiped EVERYTHING down, eg. doorknobs, etc. I put handtowels in the bathroom, with their names pinned on, one for each of them. Plus sanitizer gel and wipes.

We had a great time and a great meal!

 

[dragnlaw]

I guess I should add that I really don't like other people washing my dishes. More often than not I sometimes find things that got missed. I believe it is only because they are not in their own kitchen and we are all yakking... but still.
I had a system, as people were insulted if I didn't let them help clean up. One could wash, another dry, I put away... this way I could mentally earmark ones I would search out in the morning. (Gads, sure hope none of them read this - would be embarrassing to say the least.)
When I do dishes at someone else's house, I'm almost anal when I wash for that very reason!
But now here, I guess I don't have to worry about others doing my dishes anymore .

 

[caseydog]

I do wash my hands as needed when I cook, and of course after a visit to the bathroom. And, I have OCD and GAD, and take meds for it. But, I don't have OCD when it comes to washing my hands. I have a client who has that -- he does fist bumps instead of handshakes as much as he can. Then he washes his hands anyway. He avoids touching doorknobs as much as possible -- I've gotten used to opening doors for him without thinking about it.

I am more diligent about hand washing when I am cooking for guests than I am when cooking for myself, but even when I am just cooking for me, I wash my hands after handling raw meat, especially chicken. That is just to combat cross contamination. I don't worry about the meat, since it will be properly cooked. I'm more concerned about other things, like salads or bread that will be part of the meal, and won't be cooked.

A certain amount of bacteria is not a bad thing. It builds our immune systems. Think about the things we did as children, that we would never do as adults, and yet we survived... and we are now immune to a lot of bacteria as a result of what we did as kids.

Like everything else in life, it's a balancing act.

CD

 

[caseydog]

I guess I should add that I really don't like other people washing my dishes. More often than not I sometimes find things that got missed. I believe it is only because they are not in their own kitchen and we are all yakking... but still.
I had a system, as people were insulted if I didn't let them help clean up. One could wash, another dry, I put away... this way I could mentally earmark ones I would search out in the morning. (Gads, sure hope none of them read this - would be embarrassing to say the least.)
When I do dishes at someone else's house, I'm almost anal when I wash for that very reason!
But now here, I guess I don't have to worry about others doing my dishes anymore .

I use my dishwasher. I figure any germs that survive 180F water have earned the right to make me sick.

CD

 

[pictonguy]

Yeah, OCD handwashing is a pretty good one that's for sure.

 

[rodentraiser]

I very seldom cook for anyone but me. In fact, I can't remember the last time I cooked for anyone else. So I'm a little lax on being super clean, but I make absolutely sure my hands get washed after touching raw hamburger or raw chicken. That's usually when I've gotten home from the store and I'm separating food into freezer bags for meals. I also try to make sure my hands are also washed before I start any cooking or baking. I find I'm not so fussy when it comes to eating though!

 

[Kathleen]

I wash my hands a lot while cooking. Also, I bought a lot of "bar towels" that I use and then laundry by the batches so that I can swap them out often. I like using aprons that can also be laundered. If I touch my hair, nose, mouth, etc, I wash my hands. We have tons of teaspoons for tasting, if needed.

I used to curse my small kitchen, but now I am very thankful. I have my food prep area that is next to the sink and can be quickly cleaned well in seconds. I also have a cutting board with multiple colorful insets. This allows me to use the green one for veggies/fruits, the red one for red meats, the yellow for dairy, etc.

Frank likes gloves, but I do not. I love GoldBond Healing lotion, which is great for rough-looking hands.

 

[dragnlaw]

casey, yeah, I too have a dishwasher, she is a wonderful one, I've even given her a name - I call her dragnlaw, especially when angry with her but usually just dragn when I'm happy.

 

[GotGarlic]

I’m also a huge stickler for food safety including washing hands.

How’d the hip replacement go? I’ll probably have one in a few months…

They went great - I had both done, two years apart. There's an orthopedic practice here that has their own part of a floor of the hospital and surgeons who only work on specific joints. I went home the day after both times and after a month of in-home physical therapy, I was good to go. They do make sure you can manage stairs and whatever else you need to be able to do before you go home.

 

[dragnlaw]

GG sort of the same here. Our physio's can pretty much over rule doctors as to whether or not a patient can go home. After my abdominal surgery a year or so ago, surgeon wanted to send me home at 3 days (normal). My neuropathy suddenly kicked in with a reaction to the anesthetic and I could not stand much less walk. Physio said no way she's going home til she can walk and do stairs. They knew I basically lived alone. It only lasted 4 days but that was 4 days longer than the original 3 that I was supposed to be there for.

 

[SGM Chef]

Hi KateH,

The golden rule of professional food service is "Don't get anyone sick". So, unless there is skin damage, keep on washing your hands! (Insert virtual hug here...)

There are ways to mitigate though, if you are making cookies that require you to touch each cookie, like Thumbprint cookies, portion all the dough onto multiple sheets of parchment paper. Thumb, thumb, thumb, wash hands, jam, jam, jam. Then you can slide the first sheet/batch off, slide second batch on the cookie sheet, and into oven. This technique can save a few hand washings over making one dozen at a a time.

If you make a lot of cookies, maybe purchase a portion scoop as well as thinking of using other tools that could do the job almost as well as using your hands.

I can relate to OCD in the kitchen. I hate waste...

When doing Veg. prep, I always deal with the garlic first because it leaves garlic particles and juices behind on the cutting board. My nose tells me that! Then I deal with the Carrots, Onions, Celery, etc. and the garlic smell is gone or reduced making me think I didn't wash away and waste the tiny amount of garlic residue I paid for. No waste! Ha ha

 

[blissful]

OH, well this conversation.... Then I was going to make some vidalia onion jam. I peeled the onions and sliced them, mr bliss came into the room and I asked him if he would slap chop them into a fine dice. I asked him if he washed his hands. He said he just did when he had his meal (like an hour ago), and he washed them after using the bathroom (like 30 minutes ago). I said what else have you done since then? He said I put on and tied my shoes. I asked, are those the shit kicker shoes? He said yes. I said, wash your hands again before you help with the onions.
Seriously, if you haven't washed your hands in the past 3 minutes, they need to be washed. lol so much for good habits.

 

[knowledge keeper]

Yes, everything related to kitchen hygiene is very important. I don't tolerate people who don't wash their hands when they cook.

 

[jennyema]

I have kept hand sanitizer in my kitchen for 20 years. I wash my hands and then use a squirt