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Wow, those people who keep their toothbrushes capped and out of the bathroom win another one. Never me, though. I'm a Hygiene Hypothesis Hoplite. Might well be

Wow, those people who keep their toothbrushes capped and out of the bathroom win another one. Never me, though. I'm a Hygiene Hypothesis Hoplite. Might well be a Semmelweis Simpleton though. Who can tell? Only time.

gambiting 3y ago
I assume that all of them put a plug up their ass so they definitely never fart in their bed at night putting those exact same fecal bacteria where they sleep. Like, I get it - it's gross. But humans can be exposed to a certain level of gross and not die, it's fine.
- modeless 3y ago
  It's more than fine, in many cases. We need the right bacteria in our guts to digest our food properly and they have to get in there somehow. Also our immune systems need exposure to a diversity of natural bacteria and other organisms in order to develop and function properly. Lack of exposure to natural biota is strongly suspected to be a major cause of the rapidly growing epidemic of allergies in modern life. (This is the Hygiene Hypothesis referenced upthread.) Not saying you should stick your toothbrush in the toilet, but unusually strict hygiene measures are unlikely to be net beneficial for you. My reading of the research is that greater exposure to bacteria is very healthy and desirable as much as possible without actually getting sick.
- dylan604 3y ago
  > But humans can be exposed to a certain level of gross and not die, it's fine. I'm reminded of this every time someone posts a link to FDA regulations of what is acceptable as "food", what level of contaminants are allowed in "food", and other things that really make you not want to eat "food".
- doubled112 3y ago
  I thought kink shaming was wrong.
  - bregma 3y ago
    I didn't detect any shaming. Maybe a little bit of relish or personal lived experience.
pardoned_turkey 3y ago
The thing is, within normal, stable households, most of good hygiene practices - including hand-washing after using the restroom - are unnecessary. You already share all the microflora, and if one person brings in something contagious, you're gonna get exposed no matter what, and it's up to your immune system to save the day. That said, these practices do matter in other settings shared with strangers, so reflexive habits are worth having for that reason alone.
- thewakalix 3y ago
  Exposure isn't a binary, though. It's easier for your immune system to deal with smaller quantities.
- forgotusername6 3y ago
  Worms. Maybe bacteria and viruses can get everywhere regardless, but larger things like worm eggs are not going to travel so easily. Washing your hands can definitely help with the reduction in transmission of worm eggs.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

gambiting 3y ago

I assume that all of them put a plug up their ass so they definitely never fart in their bed at night putting those exact same fecal bacteria where they sleep. Like, I get it - it's gross. But humans can be exposed to a certain level of gross and not die, it's fine.

modeless 3y ago
It's more than fine, in many cases. We need the right bacteria in our guts to digest our food properly and they have to get in there somehow. Also our immune systems need exposure to a diversity of natural bacteria and other organisms in order to develop and function properly. Lack of exposure to natural biota is strongly suspected to be a major cause of the rapidly growing epidemic of allergies in modern life. (This is the Hygiene Hypothesis referenced upthread.) Not saying you should stick your toothbrush in the toilet, but unusually strict hygiene measures are unlikely to be net beneficial for you. My reading of the research is that greater exposure to bacteria is very healthy and desirable as much as possible without actually getting sick.
dylan604 3y ago
> But humans can be exposed to a certain level of gross and not die, it's fine. I'm reminded of this every time someone posts a link to FDA regulations of what is acceptable as "food", what level of contaminants are allowed in "food", and other things that really make you not want to eat "food".
doubled112 3y ago
I thought kink shaming was wrong.
- bregma 3y ago
  I didn't detect any shaming. Maybe a little bit of relish or personal lived experience.

pardoned_turkey 3y ago

The thing is, within normal, stable households, most of good hygiene practices - including hand-washing after using the restroom - are unnecessary. You already share all the microflora, and if one person brings in something contagious, you're gonna get exposed no matter what, and it's up to your immune system to save the day. That said, these practices do matter in other settings shared with strangers, so reflexive habits are worth having for that reason alone.

thewakalix 3y ago
Exposure isn't a binary, though. It's easier for your immune system to deal with smaller quantities.
forgotusername6 3y ago
Worms. Maybe bacteria and viruses can get everywhere regardless, but larger things like worm eggs are not going to travel so easily. Washing your hands can definitely help with the reduction in transmission of worm eggs.
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]