Why no auto soap dispenser?
Posted 10 Jun 2010
Filed Under Daily Life, Design, Places, The Little Things | 2 Comments
During a recent road trip I noticed that the men’s washrooms in the rest (or service) areas along the highway (on I76/I80) had auto-starting water faucets and auto-starting hand dryers. However, all the soap dispensers were the old fashioned kind — pump by hand. Why is that?! Shouldn’t the highway authorities be using technology to encourage the motoring public to wash their hands?
Going the distance – for soap
Posted 17 Feb 2010
Filed Under Daily Life, Guest Post, People, Places | 4 Comments
A reader from Milwaukee submitted this query to the CMD community:
I have noticed lately that girls, when in a public bathroom and at a sink that is not close to the soap dispenser will “wash” their hands using just water.
Having noticed it once, I now seem to see it everywhere.
Is this just a disgusting habit of the people in my locality or does this occur everywhere? I hope you can help clear up the confusion.
We’ve written quite a bit about washing hands. We always get a great response from our community and I am sure we can clear this up as well. So good reader, what do you think? Is it a distance-from-soap-dispenser based decision that drives this behavior?
From a guy’s perspective I can assure you that “no hand washing” and “water-only hand washing” is quite prevalent everywhere I’ve been in the world.
Though I am a proponent of thorough and soap-enhanced hand washing, I must admit that the disgusting state in which many establishments keep their bathrooms frequently makes me wonder if my hands aren’t getting MORE dirty by touching the faucet handle and soap dispensers.
Wash between the fingers!!!
Posted 25 Nov 2009
Filed Under Commuting, Daily Life, Design, Guest Post, Language, People, Places, Signs, The Little Things | 3 Comments
We’ve got a great series of guest posts coming at you from Spain! These are coming thanks to a reader from Chicago who was on a trip there recently. So without further ado*, here we go!
Chapter One from Spain:
Our reader comments:
This sign was in the bathroom on the high speed train from Barcelona to Madrid. Does anyone really need instructions on how to wash their hands?
And why the need for such detail? Guess you can’t claim you don’t know how any more. Perhaps the professional hand washers we reported on ought to expand to Spain.
What’s the equivalent phrase for “step-by-step instructions,” but for hands?
* Does anyone ever say “with further ado”?
And what will your grandkids think of you?
Posted 5 Mar 2009
Filed Under Commuting, Daily Life, Language, People, Places, Signs | 6 Comments
I thought this sign did a nice job of trying to both shame and threaten you into washing your hands.
(For accessibility reasons, here’s the content of the sign:
Common decency and the state law health and safety code require that you wash your hands before leaving this room to resume work.)
The sign was posted above the sink in a bathroom in Half-Moon Bay California.
I need some help washing my hands
Posted 10 Nov 2008
Filed Under Daily Life, People, Signs | 4 Comments
Why do so many people leave the bathroom without washing their hands? Furthermore, is this a tendency that only exists among men, or do women also partake in this non-sanitary agenda? It seems to me like it would be as gross for the person not washing hands as it is for everyone else, so I really have no idea.
Still, while I may not know how wide-spread this “non-hand-washing” epidemic is spread, I can provide you with one useful piece of info. On Southport Avenue in Chicago you can find a store which offers “expert handwashing” for those folks that need a little help or instruction. Feel free to refer people.
