'Mother-in-law doesn't wash her hands after using the toilet - it's repulsive'

04 January 2024 , 14:25

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They are wondering how they can ask their mother-in-law to start washing her hands (Image: Getty Images/Tetra images RF)

One mum-in-law is driving her family nuts with a 'gross' bathroom habit.

We all know how important personal hygiene is - washing our hands is something that's drilled into us since being a young child. But some people are better at cleanliness than others.

When one family member realised their "immaculate" mother-in-law didn't follow their hand washing ethos, it made them rather uncomfortable.

Not only is handwashing important to banish germs, especially after going to the toilet, it's just generally good hygiene to keep them clean. The anonymous family member explained that their mum-in-law is very neat, but the fact she doesn't wash her hands makes them upset.

"My mother in law is a very tidy looking person and wears clean, hip looking clothes and does her hair nicely and nice makeup. Her home is generally immaculate. There is one incredibly repulsive and mystifying habit about her that I get upset about. It's gross. She doesn't wash her hands after using the bathroom," they shared anonymously to Slate's agony aunt column podcast, Dear Prudence.

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The freaked out writer has tried to hint to her with subtle messages that she needed to wash her hands. "I have said things like, can you confirm our hand soap is full? Or, how did you like the guest towels we left out?" They even go as far as telling her that there's fresh hand towels in the bathroom but she still "hasn't got the hint".

Desperate for advice, the family member branded the habit 'disgusting' and said " It's such a weird thing to ask a high functioning adult to do." However the podcast hosts weren't sure how the writer knew their mum-in-law wasn't washing her hands.

One of the hosts jibed: "How does the letter writer know she's not washing her hands? That's the first thing, [is] your ear to the door? How do you know this?" They also noted that the mother-in-law may not always be going to the toilet when she visits the bathroom and said she may just be doing a "mirror check" or just "taking a break from everyone".

"She should wash her hands, but that, to me, I'm like, what an unenforced error in your relationship with your mother in law that you're criticizing her," the host argued. Both podcasters agreed that the person should just offer her some hand sanitiser before they eat or maybe to ask everyone to wash their hands before dinner if she's over for dinner.

"I don't want to minimize the gross out factor, but I do think you should pick your battles and this should not be one that you decide to take on directly," they concluded.

Niamh Kirk