wash hands w/ soap before getting in tank?

[phoenix20]

Hey ARC

I've kind of developed a sort of paranoia about washing my hands with hand soap before getting into the tanks. I have this bad feeling that lysol residue might be getting all in the water...

So, what do you guys do? Maybe this should be a poll question -- but do you wash your hands with soap / water or do you just dive right in?

 

[jcusmarine]

I am not the expert, but I wash my hands and arms with hot water only before I work on the tank and save the soap for after....I was of the opinion that soap would leave a chemical residue in the water and may be harmful to the system.

 

[jonboyb]

This worried me at first too. I do wash my hands, but with something very mild like Ivory. I just ensure it is not Anti-Bacterial, and I rinse ALOT.

 

[budsreef]

I wash many, many times with soap whenever I'm doing anything with the tanks, but I always wear gloves to protect myself and the fish.

 

[tomphot]

For the past 9 years, I've washed my hands with soap and rinse VERY well before going into the tank.
I've never had any problems as a result.

 

[skriz]

I don't wash before; only after

 

[flyingarmy]

Dirty Indian....:yes:

I wash after and maybe before depending what else I had my hands into before!

 

[steve]

I'm with Raj...

 

[phoenix20]

This might actually be a good question to bring up at the meeting tonight.

 

[raisingtwo2006]

Wait- we are supposed to wash or hands before too?

I wash them after- not good going around smelling like rotting xenia from the shoulders down..

 

[derek_s]

I always wash mine and rinse well. Before and after.

 

[strapingyunglad]

there was a true storie on another reefing site of a guy who dove rite in and killed a coulple hundred gallon tank in a matter of days. He traced the problem back to a gas pump with some type of engine fluid on the handle wich got into hid hand then into his tank and poof, thoudands of dollars down the drain. Ive spent allot of time on my tank and im not gunna risk it wen all i have to do to be sure is to spend a few seconds washing my hands...

 

[phoenix20]

Thats kind of like an oil spill, just on the magnitude of reef tanks. :yuk:

Maybe ARC should distribute latex gloves, just like high schools are starting to distribute other latex "items".

 

[strapingyunglad]

Maybe ARC should distribute latex gloves, just like high schools are starting to distribute other latex "items". [/QUOTE]

LOL!!!

 

[flyingarmy]

So this would be promoted by the coin phrase:

<span style="color: deepskyblue">"Wrap before Reefing" or "Dawn before Dipping"!</span>

 

[strapingyunglad]

Or, No glove no....ehem...reefing...

 

[flyingarmy]

strapingyunglad;228560 wrote: Or, No glove no....ehem...reefing...

I think that this also applies:

<span style="color: deepskyblue">"If the glove doesn't fit....you must acquit"!</span>

 

[flyingarmy]

<span style="color: deepskyblue">Or..."Wrap that Wrassescle"!</span>

 

[phoenix20]

"remember to latex wrap before reefing or you could get pinched by the crabs!"

 

[strapingyunglad]

Reefs are people to, and just like a person you want to wash your hands before putting them inside of somone.