Washing hands, what do you do?

[reeferpat137]

Hey guys, most of what i read is about washing hands for paly toxins.... but im a plumber, i work with s**t, rotting steel pipes, copper waterlines, pvc glue and cleaner etc. Obviously im not putting my hands in my tank before i scrub and shower, but im concerned about all the soaps, shampoo, and oils that are present from getting "clean"...

The question: how do you go about soaps, oils and residue off your hands before putting them in your tank?

 

[Opus]

I've been doing this since the late 80's and I will say it is something I don't worry about. Best you can do is use some kind of organic soap that says they don't put any lotions or oils in the soap for fragrance.

Wearing gloves is also an option.

 

[Mikedawg]

Cheap latex gloves is usually what I use; not sure you can wash away the fragrance, etc.

 

[landlubber]

it's probably smart to do but perhaps a little overemphasized.
i've been fish keeping for 35 years and probably intentionally washed my hands prior to reaching in the tank a handful of times along the way.
now if i was one to put lotion, perfume or had something foreign on my hands/arms i'd certainly take additional precaution.

 

[fishface NJ]

Before and after hands are in tank: Dawn dish soap and if need a nail brush if there is dirt under/around nails

 

[MoshJosh]

If I'm going to be putting my hands in the tank a lot, like a water change day, I will wash really well with dawn dish soap (eligibly will not leave residue), rinse and let air dry, then I do a second hand wash with just water, again letting air dry.

 

[Mschmidt]

I don't worry too much. I wash before and generally after. I use Ms. Mayers and shoot for unscented with an extra rinse. I also run carbon in the filter in case I miss something. But I also have less experience reefing than most above me.

 

[EugeneVan]

I've been doing this since the late 80's and I will say it is something I don't worry about. Best you can do is use some kind of organic soap that says they don't put any lotions or oils in the soap for fragrance.

Wearing gloves is also an option.

That what I do too. Wearing gloves also prevent you from getting sting by bristle worms.

 

[piranhaman00]

I scrub hands under eater anytime I feed or stick hands in tank

 

[thewedge]

I wash my hands and rinse them well. But I have lately been wearing gloves whenever I work with the tank. I have the yellow rubber gloves that go up almost to my armpit. I usually don't even have to worry about water getting into them unless I am doing something on the sand and then I just have to be careful about keeping the ends out of the water.

 

[cooltowncorals]

When I first started 14 years ago I always washed with just water and air dry.

I have an RO faucet now on my main house sink and I use it to rinse cleaned parts and equipment and wash my hands without soap.

If I have swam in a chlorine pool or put on lotion or used soap I always either rinse for 5 minutes or more or until lotion feeling goes away and only stick my hands in for something emergency style.

if I have done those things I rinse my hands a few times throughout day and wait until next day.

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

Im a weirdo i wash 20sec hot hot water then hydrogen peroxide on my hands let sit for about 30sec then hot hot water again. I did construction all my early life - that just became the norm with all the little cuts id get on my hands lol

 

[LeannaBanana]

I wash with dawn like most others, but really don't sweat it much UNLESS I'm really messing around with things, gluing, moving rocks, sifting sand, etc... and then I have cheapo "hair dye gloves" that I wear just in case. I use hair ties/rubber bands to keep them tight enough on my wrist that water can't get in too bad. :shrug:

 

[Tonycass12]

I do industrial machine repair. Oil and grease covered hands every day. I use an abrasive soap when I leave work to get most of the grime and crud and then ill wash as well as I can with dawn dish soap before my hands touch the tank.

 

[Mikedawg]

it's probably smart to do but perhaps a little overemphasized.
i've been fish keeping for 35 years and probably intentionally washed my hands prior to reaching in the tank a handful of times along the way.
now if i was one to put lotion, perfume or had something foreign on my hands/arms i'd certainly take additional precaution.

Yep, btw I put on latex gloves when using Rectorseal, epoxy and all the other stuff I'm prone to spill!