Via iStockphoto / @gabriellamasseran TikTok
A Denver bartender tested a theory that men don't wash their hands by placing a full bottle of soap in the men’s restroom prior to a shift.
The peak of COVID-19 was five years ago. It was a pandemic that directly claimed 7.1 million lives worldwide. Experts consistently stated that handwashing, for at least 20 seconds, was the main key to stopping the spread. Signs were posted over the sinks in bathrooms reminding people to wash their hands. Hand sanitizer (not soap) and toilet paper were hard to find in stores. Either those facts don’t matter in this one Denver bar. Or with the perceived passing of the threat, the warning has been forgotten.
TikTok user Gabriella Masseran (@gabbymass) is a popular bartender in Denver. She tested a theory at her job by placing a full bottle of soap in the men’s restroom prior to a shift. At the end of the shift, which lasted 10 hours, she checked on the soap bottle.
The bottle of soap was still full.
“Out of all the guys that come in here and use the bathroom, that’s all [they] used. I’m mortified. I’m disgusted,” said Gabby.
The video, captioned “Proving guys don’t wash their hands,” currently has 188,000 views. Overwhelmingly, comment after comment proved that guys not washing their hands may be a phenomenon.
“I owned a movie theater for 5 years. We refilled the soap in the ladies room constantly. Men’s room would go a month before it needed a refill. All I could think about was how many dates I saw getting a large popcorn and sharing,” said one commenter.
Another stated, “I work in a restaurant. Can confirm, I change the men’s soap maybe once for every like 6 refills in the woman’s restroom.”
Gabby and many other TikTokers also confirmed bearing witness to guys leaving the bathroom while still actively zipping up their pants.
People from different professions—hospital workers, custodians, restaurant workers, and Airbnb owners—all shared story after story about men not washing their hands. The consensus is strong.
Why Don’t Men Wash Their Hands?
Men in the comments section defended their decision not to wash their hands. And the majority of them seemed unbothered by the vitriol.
“I don’t pee on my fingers,” one commenter said.
Another said the soap nozzle was dirty, and no amount of cleaning could make his hands clean after touching it.
“I’m not touching a pump in a restroom, get an automatic dispenser,” another stated.
Custodians chimed in to also confirm, it’s not just the men. It’s boys, too.
“Boys restrooms in schools rarely get changed from elementary to high school,” they said, referring to the soap dispensers.
Many others shared stories of men openly admitting to not washing their hands.
“I had a friend years ago tell a group of us that he doesn’t wash his hands when he goes to the bathroom because “he doesn’t have to touch it when he pees,” which explains why they p— everywhere.”
Handwashing By The Numbers
Now, of course, it is not all men. But when it comes to handwashing, studies show that only 31% of men versus 65% of women wash their hands with soap after using the restroom. While there are not many studies done to understand the gap, it is theorized that it has to do with the socialization of care. Socially and historically, women have been more concerned with care than men. Another offered theory is that “men [are] too macho to fear germs.”
Some male handwashers commented and were equally repulsed by the fact that many of their counterparts don’t wash their hands.
But other women capitalized off of the (apparent) known fact. When the women’s bathroom has no soap, they help themselves to guys’ bathroom soap.
Just a reminder that handwashing, in general, is the key to minimizing the spread of transmittable bacteria or viruses. No one gender is exempt from spreading or getting germs. So, not washing your hands is a pretty reckless act.
BroBible reached out to Masseran for comment.