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[Madnesslink5]

Not specifically before gaming, no. But I wash my hands over a dozen times throughout the day as a practice. Having dirty hands is a bugaboo of mine.

Yeah I guess I wash my hands around 15 times per day, always after eating, always after using the washroom, and then if I do some work outside or anything where my hands get mildly dirty then I'll wash them straight after. I hate the feeling of not having clean hands so at most times my hands will be clean anyway, so I don't specifically wash my hands before gaming, but 99% of the time when I go to game they will be clean anyway.

 

[Frologic]

No but I wash my windows. Don't ask

 

[Lashley]

No. You're likely gonna get sweaty hands anyway.

 

[Red Chocobo]

I always wash my hands because I don't want my controllers to end up in the same condition as my friend's (Greasy as shit).

 

[dmr87]

Only if I've eaten something greasy or the like with my hands, otherwise I just clean the controller itself if it's dirty.

 

[fantomena]

No.

 

[KxoZz]

Yes. I also wash my hands before I do anything with my phone.

 

[mrpookles]

Yeah, but I wash my hands all the time anyway.

 

[Bedameister]

No I don't. My controllers are still clean though. Don't know how people get them so dirty.

 

[red731]

Nope. Hands are already clean from bathroom, eating and other stuff that can get hands dirty.
I am not talking about like unseeable shit that is everywhere.

 

[Exploding8]

No, I wash my hands whenever they get remotely dirty so there's no point.

 

[Prophet Steve]

I don't, and I don't think it is typically done, but it makes sense to me.

 

[Sakura]

I don't have dirty hands so no lol
I do wash my hands during gaming sometimes though as they can get sweaty.

 

[Red Chocobo]

I don't have dirty hands so no lol

Your hands are always dirty. Even if you can't see it.

 

[Amn]

I always wash my hands before using controllers or my computer. I also have a strict no eating with your hands while handling controllers policy, and thoroughly wipe them down after guests have been over using them. I just hate when controllers or keyboards are greasy and gross.

I'm pretty neurotic about washing my hands in general. My wife deserves a medal for putting up with my eccentricities.

 

[archnemesis]

Not always, but quite often. If my hands feel greasy or dirty I wash them before touching a gamepad.

 

[Nursezero]

I do ^_^. Less cleaning in the long run. I let my cousin and his god son play for a few hours. They just ate pizza, so imagine dry greasy funk on the ps4 controller material. Yuck! I then played the next day and the texture was defiantly different. I used Lysol wipes to clean the controller.

 

[Sakura]

Your hands are always dirty. Even if you can't see it.

If they are always dirty then they'd just be dirty again after washing them.

 

[LoveCake]

If my hands are dirty before playing then yes, but i wash after playing with gamepads always.

don't forget you do other things when gaming, like eating snacks & drinking.

 

[Red Chocobo]

If they are always dirty then they'd just be dirty again after washing them.

Good point. There is no escape :/

I may need to invest in some latex gloves.

But I guess gloves can get dirty.

 

[Mr-Joker]

Only if I ate before playing, otherwise no. I also have a strict rule of not eating when playing so I don't need to wash my hands during.

 

[diffusionx]

I cleanse my hands in Doritos dust.

 

[MR ARCADE FOREVER]

I only wash my hands after I

Spoiler

poop

, otherwise my hands will be a 5 star germ resort

 

[Silver_DNA]

I wash my hands before and after a lot of things. I don't like feeling dirty and then smearing that nastiness on things.

 

[Messofanego]

Nope. But I'm not a germaphobe. I know millions of bacteria are on no matter how clean you think it is. Toilet seats are cleaner than a kitchen top.

As long as I'm not getting a disease, it's cool.

 

[RichyMtl]

Yes and I make my friends wash their before playing with one of my controllers.

 

[nikos]

Always, and I clean my arcade stick with rubbing alcohol regularly, especially after going to a local session.

 

[Hugstable]

I always wash my hand before gaming since it takes less time to do than cleaning a myriad of greasy controllers.

 

[sniperpon]

Oh gosh yes; as a result, after years-- or even decades depending on the console-- my controllers still look brand new.

One time I was at a friend's house, and he handed me a Wii remote... it was coated, as in you could scrape it off with your fingernails, black gunk. Probably years-old potato chip debris, pizza sauce, with a nice veneer of bacteria... it was disgusting. That's why I wash my hands before I play, so my stuff doesn't get like that.

 

[John Kowalski]

Only after.

 

[jacksepticeye]

After bathroom or after greasy/dirty snacks

 

[Fjordson]

If I haven't been eating or anything then not always, but if my hands are at all dirty or sticky or whatever then yes. Both with controllers and if I'm going to play something on my laptop. I really, really hate grimy and dirty controllers/keyboards/mice so I try hard to keep them as clean as possible.

 

[Messofanego]

I don't eat and game at the same time, so this isn't as much an issue.

 

[anddo0]

I wash my hands more than a dozen times a day. I use Lysol wipes (controllers, keyboard etc...) and hand sanitizer regularly.

 

[Pancakes R Us]

I don't eat and game at the same time, so this isn't as much an issue.

This. And I regularly wash my hands throughout the day.

Now all I can think about is that crazy hacker guy from Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the one that stayed inside all day and stunk to high heaven.

Some people are just disgusting. Ugh.

 

[RichardAM]

Fascinating thread- thought I might be the only one that did wash beforehand.

 

[Messofanego]

As good a thread as any to post pics of dirty ass controllers.

 

[Benzychenz]

I wash them after eating, going to the toilet, or just getting them dirty anyway, so no, I don't feel the need to wash them before gaming.

 

[Diablohead]

Clean my controller every week or two, dislike eating crisps or finger food while using my mouse or controller full stop.

 

[entremet]

I only wash hands before eating, preparing food, and and after using the bathroom. Also if I eat with my hands--chips and such.

 

[Hoho for breakfast]

Not specifically for gaming, no. I usually wash my hands quite a bit though anyway.

I can't stand when someone eats pizza or chips or anything like that and then uses a controller though. Nasty stuff.

 

[Gun Animal]

Depends how oily my hands (thumbs, specifically) are. I keep my hands perfectly clean anyways, but I find that my naturally oily skin makes analog sticks slightly more annoying to use.

 

[Moongazer]

Generally I'll wash my hands before I use any of my consoles or pc and I definitely don't eat while playing.

 

[PrimaNocta]

No, unless I just ate or used the bathroom.

 

[LiK]

i actually wash or rinse my hands before i touch a lot of things just because it prevents whatever i'm touching to become dirty or feeling greasy. i've been to people's homes where their controllers feel greasy or sticky and it's just gross.

 

[The Jer]

ALWAYS.

I always wash my hands before picking up a controller. And there is no way I would ever eat "finger food" while gaming. Often times, I will wash my hands in the middle of a gaming session as well.

I had a roommate who turned all of my dualshock controllers gross within a month (the analog sticks were oily and greasy, and the buttons would stick a little). It was so gross and also made games harder to play (the buttons would stick and my fingers would slip). I ended up having to purchase my own controllers that I kept hidden and separate.

 

[br3wnor]

Yes, and it's a rule I insist on for guests.

Too many bad mid-2000s memories of playing Halo at friend's houses with their greasy ass controllers that are no doubt covered with pizza grease and cum.

Guests consistently find it odd, but I think it makes perfect sense.

Lol that's crazy. I'd only be visiting your house once with that rule

 

[old]

When I used to live in a place with no insolation and poor heating, during the winter I used to run my hands under hot water in the sink between rounds of online shooter gaming to keep the muscles warm and loose.

 

[Chao]

I always wash my hands before picking up my controllers.

Then I shit on them

 

[stargateheaven]

MY girlfriend makes fun of me for washing my hands before I sit down to play games. I didn't think that was odd, as I don't want my controllers to get gross.

Do you wash your hands before picking up the controller?

There's no escaping a controller getting gross.
Until they do an apple and make controllers out of one piece of material, there will be grooves for dirt to enter which is difficult to clean.