Question about hygiene in the kitchen - inappropriate hand washing

[HeyItsSara]

I am not as strict as you all are but I have seen homes that are even worse.

 

[Andy M.]

What bothers me more than the cook's personal cleanliness habits is seeing my host's cat wandering all over the kitchen counter as food is being prepared. I immediately lose my appetite.

 

[Aunt Bea]

What bothers me more than the cook's personal cleanliness habits is seeing my host's cat wandering all over the kitchen counter as food is being prepared. I immediately lose my appetite.

Andy,

You see a cat, they see a member of the family.

 

[taxlady]

My cats have all learned not to walk on kitchen counters. I don't want them on the counter. I know where their feet have been.

 

[dragnlaw]

another lost post from earlier...
One thing that I found helps - at least in my mind, is I have a hand towel to dry my hands, a dish towel for dishes and a dish cloth. All three get changed daily.
I do NOT dry my hands on the dish towel, nor dishes with the hand towel.

I use hot water, dish soap and elbow grease for cleaning everything. If I must, my go to is vinegar or, rarely, lemon juice.
As I use bleach with my carving eggs, I do not want that smell nor taste on my hands or anything else in the kitchen.
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Andy, my cats used to have a tiny corner of a counter for their food (otherwise it disappeared as dog food). If at anytime they wandered on any other part of the counters - whether or not I was preparing food - a swift smack sent them flying across the kitchen. I can guarantee they didn't do it to often!
ln later years I was able to use a wide window sill in the laundry room where I was able to protect their food from the dogs. At that poiint they were banned forever from any kitchen counter. They knew where their food was and wasn't difficult retraining them.
*****************

that makes two posts in a row forgotten to hit "reply" where was I???

 

[bethzaring]

that makes two posts in a row forgotten to hit "reply" where was I???

From personal experience, I can say this will only get worse!

 

[Andy M.]

Andy,

You see a cat, they see a member of the family.

I'd be upset if I saw a naked member of the family on all fours on the kitchen counter as well.

 

[taxlady]

I'd be upset if I saw a naked member of the family on all fours on the kitchen counter as well.

Laughing because it's true. Good point.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I'd be upset if I saw a naked member of the family on all fours on the kitchen counter as well.

 

[priyadogra]

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.

Here in India, people are not that concerned about hygiene and cleanliness. Street food is quite popular here, and I see people eating food of street vendors located across the sewer line. Even if a street vendor keeps their workplace clean, air and water pollution, dust and particulate matter in the air make it hard to eat healthy.

 

[pictonguy]

Here in India, people are not that concerned about hygiene and cleanliness. Street food is quite popular here, and I see people eating food of street vendors located across the sewer line. Even if a street vendor keeps their workplace clean, air and water pollution, dust and particulate matter in the air make it hard to eat healthy.

I've been to your country 3 times, love India, and one of the reasons is for the food which really means street food for the most part and have never fallen sick, maybe I'm lucky. Indian people aren't too concerned because they're use to it and most haven't fallen sick, so it's not that important to them generally speaking. Your right, the sanitation and living conditions are not ideal. People of India have become accustomed to this biologically, their immune systems have become accustomed to most of their local pathogens.

I follow a guy that is documenting and living among the Hadza tribe of Africa and hand washing isn't a thing unless it was to wash off the debris where most people would involuntarily give up their previous meal, not to mention the way food is prepared, cooked and served.

Over sanitizing is a thing and has biological repercussions that most people don't really understand but nevertheless, it is a reality, including washing hands too much.

 

[dragnlaw]

Over sanitizing is a thing and has biological repercussions that most people don't really understand but nevertheless, it is a reality, including washing hands too much.

Agree! 100%

 

[boom]

I cook for my family. I make extra to feed the elderly neighbors I have occasionally. I keep my hands clean. If I inadvertently touch my face, I wash.

My hands are dry right now from all the washings while making dough. I don’t want anyone getting sick.

Ironically, one of the old ladies is hosting dinner Dec 30th. I’m not sure I can eat her food, haha. She is a bit loosey Goosey with hand washing. Eek. I’ll just fake it. Shell pet her cat and stuff. Nope!

 

[boom]

Agree! 100%

Yes. Just soap for me.

 

[taxlady]

Boom, are you washing your hands in hot water? That would explain the skin getting dry. When I worked in hospitals in Denmark, they told us about a study they had done. They had various people wash their hands in various temperatures of water, over a period of a few weeks. They measured how many microorganisms were on people's hands before and after washing. What they learned was that hot water does not get rid of or kill microorganisms better than lukewarm water, tending towards cool. After a few weeks, people who had been washing in hot water had rough, dry skin. That rough dry skin, had lots of nooks and crannies for microorganisms to hide in, and they did. So, be sure you wash your hands in water that is a comfortable temperature. Your hands will thank you and they will be hang on to fewer microorganisms.