Comments on: The “what I do for science dictates my having to wash my hands before I use the toilet” badge.

By: Quid

Quid — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:25:58 +0000

Marine mammal necropsies and currently getting a skeleton cleaned and puzzled back together. …yeah.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 01:33:10 +0000

ICU nurse,

Vinyl gloves have failure rates of 50% or more depending on exposure type. You bet I wash my hands before I touch anything remotely important.

By: Science Scouts | Updates from the Paleontology Lab

Science Scouts | Updates from the Paleontology Lab — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 02:37:43 +0000

[...] The “What I do for science dictates my having to wash my hands before I use the toilet” badge [...]

By: gusgus

gusgus — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:09:22 +0000

So many months of working in a molecular biology lab, carrying E. coli with me everywhere. Really made me paranoid about touching anything after leaving the lab.

By: HERPDERP

HERPDERP — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 00:59:52 +0000

herpes virologist. ’nuff said.

By: Mark Fitzsimmons

Mark Fitzsimmons — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:31:00 +0000

monomethylhydrazine (risk of skin contact)
lead, handled with gloves but didn’t want to come in contact with it
rubber, charred from combustion with liquid oxygen
coal dust so pervasive I needed to take a shower
epoxy
rusty pipes
plain old dirt in an old facility

By: Cory

Cory — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 21:43:25 +0000

Oh heck yes… I wouldn’t touch my naughty bits after dealing with ethidium bromide or radioactive isotope without a thorough washing… and I’d get a lot of comments in the washroom to that effect.

By: Em

Em — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:15:50 +0000

I make blood shakes for a living: I am a molecular hematologist dealing wih lots of weird, contaigious stuff so this badge suits me perfectly

By: JRQ

JRQ — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:23:25 +0000

As a microbiologist, I always wash before (and of course after) using the restroom.

By: ornot

ornot — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:20:21 +0000

Non-science people don’t? Gross!

By: Briny Deep

Briny Deep — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 01:01:38 +0000

I teach outdoor science at a nature center. I handle reptiles and children with poison oak. I don’t take chances.

By: Catherine

Catherine — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 03:10:27 +0000

Herpetology for the antibacterial (with moisturizers) win!

By: MC

MC — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:34:16 +0000

I was a chemist, and before that, worked with reptiles and amphibians (like another poster). Seconded!

By: Thor Fury

Thor Fury — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 04:59:48 +0000

I earned this one years ago, when I began working in the laboratory for a company that collects, consolidates, and disposes of hazardous and non-hazardous chemical and industrial wastes…

By: Colleen

Colleen — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 02:29:50 +0000

Poison ivy, poison oak, I gotcha.

By: Sheryl Mitchell

Sheryl Mitchell — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:13:34 +0000

Yay! Now I won’t feel quite so weird, lol! I work with reptiles and amphibians, and it would be NUTS for me to not wash my hands BEFORE using the bathroom, lol

By: suncrush

suncrush — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:52:51 +0000

Anyone smell acid?…

By: Aine

Aine — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:51:00 +0000

Oh yeah; Veterinary anatomic pathology. There have been days I needed a *shower* before going to the bathroom.

By: kp

kp — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:49:08 +0000

Working in the field on the central CA coast where I’ve seen entire forest understories of 2m tall poison oak and poison oak vines with 20cm DBH. Unfortunately it took a couple of outbreaks before I learned my lesson.

By: Adriana

Adriana — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:17:04 +0000

As a clinical microbiologist, I’m so used to this that I forget… normal people don’t have to do this?! This website is great!