Personal Hygiene or Familiarity Breeds Contempt

[WOODPIE]

The "Diary of a Sensitive Guy" thread got me to thinking about a discussion my wife and I had a few days ago. The subject was sponges, the typical household variety, used for cleaning up around the house. Speaking for myself, I like 'em. You can load them up with water, or soap and water, or a mild abrasive like Comet, and transport that great glob of cleaning power to the area needing cleansed, and afterward, use the very same tool to rinse and dry. Try that with a paper towel! I mean, seriously...

Anyway, she hates sponges. Says they're nasty. That's her word of choice for anything she finds repulsive. She thinks sponges are a sort of pliable petri dish for bacteria and such. Long story short on this part of the post, because I am not only the man of the house, but also a Sensitive Guy, I am spongeless in my own castle.

But during our (decidedly one-sided) discussion of sponges, she brought down upon me a hammer of such indignity, I was taken aback with embarrassment and speechlessness, that she should have hidden so well this contempt low these many years, but to wield it so as to further her case condemning sponge and spouse in one blow! Seems she holds wash-cloths, yes those very same articles used in bath and shower, only a half-notch above sponges! And further, said use of the wash-cloth to wash all parts of the body (canyousayass?) on more than one occasion is nasty plus one. Or minus one, whatever...

Well, gentle readers, you know already that I am pro-sponge, so you can probably guess I get more than one cycle out of a wash-cloth. My argument is that there is the agent soap involved here, the much heralded enemy to both body odor and body excrements. Don't misunderstand; I cycle out my wash-cloths on a regular basis. Apparently not often enough to avoid the "nasty" classification. What a revelation!

Maybe I should use two separate wash-cloths, one embroidered with the word "A$$", and the other with the word "*********", just to keep it straight?


TIA for your thoughts and response

Ed

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Fresh washcloth every morning for the face.

Bare-handed in the shower (except for the fingernail brush...I seem to attract grime no matter how short the nails are) with tons of soap every night.

[ronin]

looks like little miss muffet might have a small problem with, oh what the hell is that phobia of germs called again?

tell her to blast the sponge in the micro for a minute. kills almost everything

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Wait a second. Have you NEVER showered with your wife?

You should try it some time. I have (with my wife--not yours).

[RoninLB]

Originally posted by WOODPIE


Anyway, she hates sponges.

, she brought down upon me a hammer of such indignity,


Apparently not often enough to avoid the "nasty" classification. What a revelation!


TIA for your thoughts and response

huuhh hey ED

it's a package deal when your involved with bed warmers.. Any break from her ritual is naturally threatning to her beliefs. When she reacts psy aggressively give her a quick smack in the head. Any change in her current perceptions must be shaped by a different position of her reality.. kinda like getting the liberal college kid into management work. you know like reward/punish.

I suggest Wife School.

[dd74]

On a not-so-related note, dog saliva was used to cleanse open sores in the time of the pharoahs.
Oh, and your wife is correct.
Do you know what the filthiest item in our modern human existence is? Not the sponge or washcloth, but the computer keyboard. Remember: you're keystroking not just what the last person keystroked, but everything (and everyone) they've keystroked as well before that.
Oh, and if I haven't said so already, your wife is correct.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I figured the dirtiest thing is the doorknob/handle of the exit in the men's restroom. Do you know how many f*ckers don't wash their hands, even after a Mt. St. Helen's dump?

[dd74]

Originally posted by BlueSkyJaunte
I figured the dirtiest thing is the doorknob/handle of the exit in the men's restroom. Do you know how many f*ckers don't wash their hands, even after a Mt. St. Helen's dump?

It isn't filthy personally, if you don't touch it. I wait for some bloated sod to come in, hook the door with my foot, and bend it like Becham until I can swing on out. If the door opens "out" I just kick...gently... as I've almost hit a couple guys that way...

[LeRoux Strydom]

I use a sponge, so does my wife. And yes, sometimes we do shower together . I had a large shower with 2 shower heads built for that exact purpose.

I hate wash-cloths. As for bacteria, well, that's what the soap is for. As a kid, I was taught that a certain amount of expose to bacteria & such builds the immune system. You can never avoid all bacteria, so it makes sense to me.

That which does not kill me, makes me stronger!

LeRoux

[BlueSkyJaunte]

DD, you must be OCD like me....

1) Turn on faucet, wash hands.
2) Dispense paper towel with right hand, grab with left.
3) Re-wash right hand
4) Dry hands
5) Turn off faucet with paper towel
6) Grab door knob with paper towel, open door
7) Hook door with foot
8) Toss towel in trash
9) Exit men's room, hoping no one noticed you're as freaky as Monk

[CamB]

Where is "no washcloth". I just use soap and hands - I thought everyone - ok, every guy, cause women use "loofahs" - used hands only.

Oh, and sponges get pretty nasty pretty quick.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally posted by WOODPIE
Well, gentle readers, you know already that I am pro-sponge, so you can probably guess I get more than one cycle out of a wash-cloth. Ed

Hell, I get four cycles out of a pair of underwear...

[rcecale]

Originally posted by Jeff Higgins
Hell, I get four cycles out of a pair of underwear...

Right on Jeff!!!

Day 1: Right side out
Day 2: Inside out

Turn them around and repeat Days 1 and 2 for Days 3 and 4.

Randy

[ronin]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahghh. now that's way more information than what I'm able to handle so early in the a.m.

[RickM]

In the shower it's the new Dove soap with the exfoliant particles...works great. The wife? Into all those Luffa sponges...there hangin all over.

Other than for washing a car I'm also a sponge hater. Especially in the kitchen.....yecckk. I make my wife, a sponge liker, put it in the dishwasher everytime it's run.

The keyboard and phone receiver are the two most germ infested places on a desk.

In the bathroom it's the faucet handle area at the sink.

Cleanest part of you body? Let's see who can guess.

[juanbenae]

gern-o-phob. remember when kramer made the salad in the bathtub?

[legion]

I believe that I rarely get sick because I regularly exercise my immune system. As such, I bath in a combination of pig's blood and cow urine.

[Superman]

I'm getting better at washing my hands periodically during the day. My goal is to avoid a flu bug. Plain ol' germs (the non-viral kind) don't appear to actually make people sick, if you think about it.

You're a funny man, Jeff.

You're not as funny, ronin, but in this instance I think you're dead on. Woodpie's babe looks to be on the germ-phobia slippery slope. Pretty soon he'll be feeding her in bed using rubber gloves. Perhaps soaking items in a pan of alcohol would help her feel better, but I think communication/discussion/education (AKA counseling) might be helpful.

I like to be as clean as the next person, but germs are everywhere and if you're aware of that, and it bothers you, then you've got trouble. Just after you scrub something completely, germs are still there, technically. You gotta just do a good job of cleaning, and then relax. Or you'll be in constant agony.

[pwd72s]

Originally posted by RoninLB
huuhh hey ED

When she reacts psy aggressively give her a quick smack in the head.

I suggest Wife School.

LOL! BTW, bacteria is good . Without it, there would be no beer.

[dhoward]

Originally posted by pwd72s
LOL! BTW, bacteria is good . Without it, there would be no beer.

Ummm... that's yeast.

Beer + yeast = good.
Bedwarmer + yeast = bad.