The Warring States of NPF - This whole thing about washing your hands after urinating...

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This whole thing about washing your hands after urinating...

WHY?
Since most people actually WASH themselves, they aren't going to pick up a stunning amount of germs from their crotch, and what the hell do you think your kidneys do? URINE IS STERILE! (When it leaves the body. Obviously, if you leave a pot of it lying around for three days, it's...manky, but when you're peeing...)
Just curious to see what opinions people have about this...

While I understand the idea of not needing to wash yourself after touching your own body (if you did, then you'd be washing your hands all the time), I am going to disagree with you -- due to broader context.

When you use a restroom, whether at your own home, a friend's residence, a public area, etc., your hands come in contact with far more than your own body (that may or may not be relatively clean, as you noted). These things are not clean. These things are all fairly full of germs. You probably AT LEAST touch a few handles (toilet, sink, hand dryer or paper towel dispenser) and other things (paper rolls, seats, etc. -- varies depending on what gender you are :D). This is why you should do it.

I think i'll wash my hands anyway just to be safe.

By sterile, do you mean 'not AS filthy as excrement'? Anyway, touching any part of your body that tends to collect things that are nasty (problem areas typically include the armpits, belly button, crotch, and soforth...) would be well-met with a swift and complete washing of the hands, which will no doubt come into contact directly or indirectly with another persons hand, mouth, bottom, or other body part which people tend to aviod exposing to any kind of human or animal waste.

...Wait a minute, you aren't Will Wright, are you?

It's not about the germs, it's about good sense. -.- If you ask me why washing your hands, then I'll ask you why not? It's not difficult, your hands will smell good afterwards... the idea of not doing it sounds disgusting, honestly.

Maybe you should wash your hands before you touch your precious genitals?

There are germs in the bathroom, but there are probably more germs on your keyboard than a public toilet (unless there is not janitor assigned to it). Some quick stats:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Studies

# Only about two thirds of American adults wash after using the toilet - women significantly more often than men. Fecal matter carries a variety of serious infectious diseases.

# One of four adults does not wash after changing a baby's diaper - creating a high risk of giving the care giver and other children infectious diarrhea and other diseases.

# Fewer than half of us wash after handling our pets or cleaning up after them.

# Just one in three wash after sneezing or coughing.

# Not even one in five wash after handling money, a major carrier of disease germs.

# In one study, children who washed their hands four times a day missed 51 percent fewer school days due to upset stomach and 24 percent fewer days due to respiratory illness than those who washed less.

# One in three E.coli outbreaks is caused by poor personal hygiene (hand washing) by food handlers.

Some of the stats are ridiculous. Who washes their hands after handling money? The point is that you can avoid a lot of gunk and dreary days just by washing your hands a bit. The sink is right there; you might as well.

Well, for starters--it's just a good idea to wash your hands now and then, and why not make that right after you piss? As Kaelus said, the sink is right there.

Further, no one wants your piss all over everything. By washing your hands you're removing it from them so you don't go spreading it all over the place. Though it may be sterile, I don't think anyone here feels like drinking it or getting someone else's all over them.

Essentially, if you don't wash your hands, you're both drinking it AND getting it all over. Granted, it doesn't usually get anywhere but the bowl (unless you have some sort of spasm or your hand slips or some other crazy thing), but in the event that it splashes up or you get one of those split streams, well, do you want that going in your mouth later?

Not only that, but urine may be sterile, but it's also full of ammonia. Or, more correctly, the ammonia ion NH4+, which turns to ammonia proper when exposed to air (I.E. when you're pissing).

Now, your urine is also full of water. When ammonia meets water we get ammonium hydroxide, a highly basic solution.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MSDS Safety Sheet for Ammonium Hydroxide

Emergency Overview
--------------------------
POISON! DANGER! CORROSIVE. MAY BE FATAL IF SWALLOWED OR INHALED. MIST AND VAPOR CAUSE BURNS TO EVERY AREA OF CONTACT.
[...]
Inhalation:
Vapors and mists cause irritation to the respiratory tract. Higher concentrations can cause burns, pulmonary edema and death. Brief exposure to 5000 ppm can be fatal.
Ingestion:
Toxic! May cause corrosion to the esophagus and stomach with perforation and peritonitis. Symptoms may include pain in the mouth, chest, and abdomen, with coughing, vomiting and collapse. Ingestion of as little as 3-4 mL may be fatal.
Skin Contact:
Causes irritation and burns to the skin.
Eye Contact:
Vapors cause irritation. Splashes cause severe pain, eye damage, and permanent blindness.
Chronic Exposure:
Repeated exposure may cause damage to the tissues of the mucous membranes, upper respiratory tract, eyes and skin.
Aggravation of Pre-existing Conditions:
Persons with pre-existing eye disorders or impaired respiratory function may be more susceptible to the effects of this material.

Now, granted, the stuff in your pee is very very very diluted, and not really dangerous. It's still poison, though.

I could go on, but mostly it comes down to this--would you want to shake someone's hand after they just got done shaking off their trouser snake without washing?

I am reminded of George Carlin's rant on this. He determind that if your crotch was such a damn dirty thing, why not wash that instead of your hands? Besides, it'd be a lot funnier to see people trying to dry their crotch by jumping under the automatic blowers.

Seriously though, I am all for cleanliness of washing the hands. Actually, our society is quite intensive over cleanliness, and to show that, I will list a few of the times it is suggested that we wash our hands:

before eating
after eating (mouth too)
after urinating (strictest is washing your feet too)
after passing stool (actually, we take a whole shower)
after napping for more than 30 minutes
after touching your mouth (after all, it's just the other end of the tube that your ass is part of)
after touching an animal
after touching your feet
after clipping your nails
after shaving (again, shower is better)

There are more, but you get the idea, and if in the kitchen?...well, I'll just say the health inspectors have commented that we are too clean for them in our public restaurants.

Ugh. MSDS sheets. I hate those things... I've always felt that they could be much easier to read in a different format. They are supposed to be read by average employees...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Krylo

Though it may be sterile, I don't think anyone here feels like drinking it or getting someone else's all over them.

Unless it's Will Wright's pee. And, Yes, I am going to tell that joke until somebody awknowledges it.

Anyway, I'm glad we live in an age of information where we can easily put to rest such urban legends like 'pee is clean'.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nique

Ugh. MSDS sheets. I hate those things... I've always felt that they could be much easier to read in a different format. They are supposed to be read by average employees...

Unless it's Will Wright's pee. And, Yes, I am going to tell that joke until somebody awknowledges it.

Anyway, I'm glad we live in an age of information where we can easily put to rest such urban legends like 'pee is clean'.

See the thing about Will Wright's pee is, it could go anywhere. It might land on your hair. Or maybe just a bit on your shirt.

Will Wright's not going to tell you what to do with his pee. Everyone will create their own experience with Will Wright's pee.

Anyway

1. I tend to be generally suspicious of facts which come from Fight Club.

2. Seriously, you should wash your hands. What, is the soap gonna burn your hands off? No. So wash your hands.