My MIL won't wash her hands in the bathroom.

[Anonymous]

She uses the kitchen sink instead when she's on the main floor. It grosses me out. I've tried everything. I've talked about instilling good habits with DC, asked if there's a kind of soap/towel she'd prefer in there and straight up asked her to please wash her hands in the bathroom instead of the kitchen. It's a habit she has and does in her own home so she does it at others' as well.

There are no special towels, soaps etc in the bathroom that she may be worried to use. It's all the same stuff as in the kitchen. But she goes to the bathroom, wipes and then touches the door handle and whatever else she gets distracted by before she gets to the kitchen sink. Not to mention that she touches the faucet in the kitchen (where we prepare food, duh) to turn on the sink with her pee/poop hands.

Yes, I am somewhat of a germophobe. But why would someone bypass washing their hands in the bathroom in order to do it in the kitchen? She's coming to stay with us in a few days and I want to address it early on.

I know it could be worse and this is kind of a silly pet peeve but it is what it is.

How would you handle it?

[Anonymous]

I would ignore it.

[Anonymous]

Get help for your issues. Work on you.

[Anonymous]

Washing hand in the kitchen and using paper towels to dry - why is this a problem?

[Anonymous]

You're the one with the problem, here, not your MIL. What she is doing is not gross. I could certainly understand wanting to bring it up if she didn't wash her hands at all but there's nothing wrong with using a different sink. The germs in your house are ubiquitously uniform. No room is exempt.

FWIW, I also wash my hands in the kitchen sink after using the powder room. I can't stand the tiny pedistal sink we have in there and I prefer the larger kitchen sink that is 15 feet away.

[Anonymous]

That's really gross. Have your husband handle it.

[Anonymous]

This same issue, almost exact same post, with a FIL was posted not too long ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Washing hand in the kitchen and using paper towels to dry - why is this a problem?

I think the MIL is going to the bathroom, then using the kitchen sink to wash her hands instead of the sink in the bathroom. That would gross me out too.

[Anonymous]

Oh ok, I reread that this is after she has used the toilet, so I understand your reasoning. It is possible she'e in the bathroom doing something else? Freshening-up her make-up?

[Anonymous]

#firstworldproblems. She's washing her hands, albeit not in the place you would like best. Find something else to worry about OP.

[Anonymous]

Omg. No wonder so many MILs hate their DILs.

[Anonymous]

Op, it is gross but if it makes you feel better human urine is almost sterile. Of course not the other.

[Anonymous]

At least she washes her hands, unlike my MIL. And she always seems to have a stomach bug, because no one in her house washes hands. Luckily she doesn't cook. We never go to her house, for many gross reasons.

So just fake a smile and when your MIL's not looking, wipe things down with a Clorox wipe or something. And think of how it could be worse.

[Anonymous]

For fucks sake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This same issue, almost exact same post, with a FIL was posted not too long ago.

Here it is, may mother be FIL though.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/394401.page#5351384