08 December 2007

Using a box of gloves a day would be easier - contributed by Crazy Sister


I recently saw one of those health campaign posters recommending washing hands every time you do something on the list that followed. I got to thinking that every day I usually clean three wet nappies and three dirty nappies, I deal with soiled underwear (not mine) and clean at least one gross thing off the carpet. I’ll also pat a dog, empty a rubbish bin, pull some weeds and wipe a few noses.

I’ll prepare three big meals and two “teas”, put on and take off three pairs of shoes a couple of times and, God willing, I may be able to make a toilet trip myself a few times.

By my calculations that should have me scrubbing up about 26 times a day. For the recommended two minutes of hot soapy water, that’s nearly a whole hour of hand maintenance every day (with the nail scrubbing brush for those “poosidue” moments). And it’s not always convenient – sometimes it seems my hands have barely become dry before they’re called back to doo-doo duty again.

Perhaps instead of heading to the basin whenever these incidents happen I should schedule handwashing every half hour of the thirteen hours my kids are awake. “Sweetie, do you have anything gross for me to clean up? Because I’m washing my hands soon and won’t do so for another thirty minutes.”

A while ago a doctor examined a rash on my hand, and recommended I keep it dry and away from chemicals. I was so violently amused that I was unable to stop a small snort of snot escaping my nose.
Then I blew my nose.
And then I washed my hands.

1 comments:

Givinya De Elba said...

Thanks for contribution CrazySis, I love it! Hope you're getting time to make that toilet trip for yourself often enough. We wouldn't want extra rubber-glove moments that could be avoided! GdeE