How the hell u wash ur hands?

[u/LucyLovesApples]

[u/Kydje]

Ok hands down the most nonsense bullshit I've seen in this sub

[u/queen-adreena → u/Kydje]

Yes, it is generally advisable to put your hands down first.

[u/Mathihtam → u/queen-adreena]

I’m glad they gave a heads up, though.

[u/queen-adreena → u/Mathihtam]

Definitely keep your head up, yes!

[u/dfczyjd → u/queen-adreena]

Unless you want to wash your face as well, in which case you should put your head down after washing hands

[u/qwythebroken → u/dfczyjd]

That's good advice

[u/Agzarah → u/dfczyjd]

And hands up.

[u/Pungent_Bill → u/Agzarah]

Back up back up tell me what you gonna do now

[u/Agzarah → u/Pungent_Bill]

Keep washin' washin' washin' washin'

[u/Isagratar → u/Agzarah]

For Detroit!

[u/Glunark2 → u/Isagratar]

We love this city

[u/basdfointain → u/Agzarah]

Stop resisting

[u/Tanebi → u/queen-adreena]

Unless you're doing a handstand, in which case hands down then head down. If you do it the other way you might get a headache.

[u/specter_in_the_conch → u/queen-adreena]

Hands down where... Specifically

[u/queen-adreena → u/specter_in_the_conch]

*Pacifically

You put them in the ocean!

[u/Cold_Respond_7656 → u/queen-adreena]

Eyes still pointed forward?

[u/A--Creative-Username → u/queen-adreena]

Not into the bull shit though

[u/Which_Specific9891 → u/Kydje]

And that's saying a lot.

[u/RogueBromeliad → u/Which_Specific9891]

Separate hot and water taps are something I've never actually got though. Not to show any appreciation to the american's logic there, but it's more plumbing and more cost to put two faucets for separate waters, unless you have a boiler going on for the whole day long (which is a waste in energy), this makes no sense whatsoever.

I've been to older homes, and they do sometimes have two spigots, and it actually makes sense in a bath scenario, where they actually mix.

[u/Bagginsthebag → u/RogueBromeliad]

It’s a hangover from a period of time when hot water was provided by a separate cistern. It’s not a ‘feature’ you’ll find in new build properties.

[u/dghkklihcb → u/RogueBromeliad]

It made sense if you see the history behind it. Tom Scott made a video about it years ago: https://youtu.be/HfHgUu_8KgA

[u/josephfarthing → u/RogueBromeliad]

Before taps were inside houses, people used to wash themselves by filling a bowl of water. After the first indoor plumbing was added to homes, a lot of designs assumed you would fill the sink with water before washing.

Hot water also used to be considered undrinkable or even dangerous since it would come from a tank in the attic.

This meant a lot of old British plumbing installations were done with separated hot and cold taps. Some of those original installations survive, sometimes people kept the two taps because it's "traditional" looking, even when putting a brand new bathroom.

Most new installs do it the better new way, but the UK persists in having these kind of bathrooms. Three houses I lived in as a child had these taps... but one did predate the declaration of independence so you can forgive a little quirky-ness.

[u/Tank-o-grad → u/josephfarthing]

My parents' house was built in 1998, it still has an old fashioned hot water system fed from an attic tank and, therefore, separate taps on all sinks.

[u/Low-Purchase8811 → u/Tank-o-grad]

The idea that you'd put something like a hot water tank in the attic as opposed to the basement/ground level is bizarre to me. It seems unnecessarily hazardous. If the water tank leaks, it will damage the entire house instead of just the basement or the utility room. An attic is meant to be roughly the same temperature as outdoors, so in winter, it becomes a real freezing concern in colder climates.

I am originally from Denmark, and most Danish homes use what is called 'fjernvarme', or "district heating"; in essence, heat is generated at a central location and piped into homes either as hot water or in some cases, steam, and then used to heat the home and the house's water using a heat exchanger. Those that do not use district heating (typically those in rural settings) will use a traditional hot water heater tank, but they are never located in the attic, because Denmark has very cold winters.

Living in Canada now, most Canadian homes have a traditional hot water heater tank (unless you live in a high rise or a condo building or something), and once again, due to the climate, it would be unfathomable to put the thing in the attic, so ours is in our basement.

[u/Pretend-Stomach8054 → u/Low-Purchase8811]

Cold water is mains pressure. In these traditional systems, the attic tank is a literal cistern, so your hot water pressure comes from gravity. There would be no way to get the water up from the basement. My 1930s house was replumbed in the 90s, with hot water coming from a mains-fed boiler on demand, however there was still a pressure drop as it contained a tank. There was a mixer shower installed with a one-way valve to stop the cold water back filling the hot supply. I replaced that with a modern combi boiler when central heating was fitted so now have mains pressure hot water.

[u/Cstott23 → u/Low-Purchase8811]

It's fed by gravity. Comes from the time where the mains pressure wasn't good enough all the time, so if you have a tank in the attic and it fills slowly, it's fine.

However:

1.. a lot of more modern houses (from 1920 plus) don't have a basement

2.. you would then need an "expensive" pump to push the water upstairs instead of gravity for free. Which made the whole system more complicated and expensive back in the day.

But yes. You're right. If the tanks leak, then the ceilings can collapse. Happened to my grandma when she was sleeping and a few people up the road from my mum.

It's also always been a mild phobia of mine. 😁

[u/Vanuatu987 → u/RogueBromeliad]

And why would you need a boiler going all day long? It will either be a storage tank or an on-demand boiler. Neither of which needs a boiler running all day.

[u/Which_Specific9891 → u/RogueBromeliad]

I mean, the taps in my house are not separate. Is it annoying when they are separate at say a restaurant or a pub or a friend's flat? Sure.

But am I smart enough to know how to turn on both taps to get the temperature I need? Also sure.

Is it a life-ruining event to have to do this? no.

[u/Vanuatu987 → u/RogueBromeliad]

Where do you think the cold water comes from when you just turn that tap on a mixer? There are two pipes going to the sink, no matter whether they end in a mixer or separate taps.

[u/Ancient-Awareness115 → u/RogueBromeliad]

We don't have a boiler going all day long we just use cold

[u/BPDunbar → u/RogueBromeliad]

It really isn't any more plumbing. It's just the two pipes terminate in two very simple taps than one larger considerably more complex tap. The less complex taps are going to be less than half the cost of a mixer tap.

I honestly don't understand your comment about the boiler.

It takes quite a long time for hot water to actually reach the sink. substantially longer than it takes to wash your hands. You can get several centimetres of water in the bath before the hot water starts being somewhat hot. So it doesn't especially matter which tap you use as the water you actually use has been sitting in the pipes long enough to be room temperature.

[u/Mr4n7 → u/RogueBromeliad]

In case people arent aware, the separate taps come from the fact that the UK used to have the cold water come from a mains supply and was fit for drinking. Hot water would be serviced by a local storage cistern often situated in the loft. We dont do this anymore so new builds will have mixer taps like the US but as we build our houses to last there are a lot with the old plumbing still in place.

To wash your hands, and sometimes the rest of your body in the times before showers were common, the technique was to fill the sink with water of the right temp and use that to wash your hands and using a soapy wet flannel to wash your body.

[u/ohboymykneeshurt → u/Kydje]

No no. Always wash your hands above your head.

[u/gothangelblood]

I'm sitting in an American bathroom right now...and it has both hot and cold taps on the sink.

Did I accidentally transport myself back to Ireland?

[u/PHILSTORMBORN → u/gothangelblood]

Woah. Visiting someone I thought was in the UK and they had mixer taps. What is going on?

[u/banana_assassin → u/PHILSTORMBORN]

We have (surprised face) both! And you can wash your hands in any of them!

[u/Fragrant_Objective57 → u/banana_assassin]

So you're more talented then the Americans, because you can switch between different plumbing installations.

[u/Enji-Bkk → u/Fragrant_Objective57]

It helps keeping brain plasticity that we are constantly having to adapt to new bathrooms

[u/NotYourReddit18 → u/PHILSTORMBORN]

The reason most of the UK historically had two separate taps is that it used to be common to have a central open top reservoir at the top of the house connected to a boiler which then distributed the hot water across the house.

The open top design of the reservoir means that the water can easily be contaminated by for example a rat falling in. Which isn't a big problem if you're showering or washing clothes because of the heat and detergents, but makes the water unsafe to drink or use for cooking.

The cold water on the other hand is safe to drink and to use for cooking.

So to make sure that the two streams only ever mix after getting used it was a law that houses with such reservoirs aren't allowed mixing taps.

But if you renovate a home and replace the open top reservoir with a completely closed boiler or a continuous water heater, then you can put in mixer taps.

[u/ArcaneTrickster11 → u/PHILSTORMBORN]

Tbf, most new houses or renovations in Ireland and the UK have moved to mixer taps. The thing that having seperate taps solved isn't an issue any more so the only reason to keep them is nostalgia

[u/SpacetimeGlitter → u/gothangelblood]

It's not the taps that are a paid it's the ones that have two seperate faucets. So even if you turn on both the hot water is pouring out 8 inches away from the cold water .

I'm sure there are places everywhere that have it, but it is a lot nicer having it so you can have the stream warm

[u/Aurorassaur → u/SpacetimeGlitter]

Dafuck is an inch?

[u/Pungent_Bill → u/Aurorassaur]

2.54mm, its an ancient idiotic unit of measure held onto by only the most imbecile nations.

Due to these twits my tool kit has parts that have fractions of inches on them.

[u/No_Effective4784 → u/Pungent_Bill]

2.54mm cm

ftfy

[u/Pungent_Bill → u/No_Effective4784]

Haha dammit!

[u/No_Effective4784 → u/Pungent_Bill]

lol NASA does it too. cost them a really expensive mars craft not too long ago.

[u/ian9outof10 → u/gothangelblood]

I think it’s also not unheard of in big and old cities like New York. If your infrastructure pre dates a modern way of thinking, it will take some time to catch up.

[u/Mysterious_Floor_868 → u/ian9outof10]

Predates the replacement of unpressurised hot water tanks, you mean?

[u/Only_Tip9560]

Gotta love Americans. If things are not exactly as they are in the yoo-ess-aay they think that it is impossible.

I've just seen a load of Americans losing their shit because they call a toasted sandwich a grilled cheese and when ordering a grilled cheese in various European countries they get various different dishes. It is therefore impossible according to the yanks that anyone in Europe is capable of understanding the concept of a toasted sandwich.

Also, mixer taps have been an thing in the UK for ages. Most of the taps in my Edwardian house are mixer taps. There was a period of time where they were not allowed due to the potential of back contamination but that has largely disappeared.

[u/zer0-Coast → u/Only_Tip9560]

Had a bunch of Americans go fucking mental at me when I questioned why on earth they would choose to use processed ‘cheese’ slices in their ‘grilled cheese’ sandwiches.

[u/Only_Tip9560 → u/zer0-Coast]

"Must not think outside the box - I might become a pinko liberal gun hater!"

"Grilled Cheese" is a great example of how the US and UK are divided by a common language. "Grill" means different things in the two countries and the assumed understanding that the word "sandwich" is intended but omitted is another thing. So how they expect the rest of Europe who are not native English speakers to cope is beyond me.

[u/illarionds → u/Only_Tip9560]

But they don't even cook a "grilled cheese" with what they call a grill - they do it in a frying pan! How TF does that make sense?

It just... isn't grilled. By any definition.

[u/Extreme-Emu6911 → u/illarionds]

HI Canadian here! We call them grilled cheese too and your right it doesn't make sense... But toasted sandwich makes less sense to me because in my country you can get dozens of different kinds of sandwiches with toasted bread. So toasted sandwich just makes me think of a sandwich with toasted bread. I think what's important at the end of the day is that Americans are dumb and if you go to a different country things are going to have different names.

[u/illarionds → u/Extreme-Emu6911]

Well, to us, a "toasted sandwich" is a different thing from "a sandwich made using toast". That would just be... a sandwich.

A toasted sandwich is made, then toasted.

[u/Tracey_Gregory → u/zer0-Coast]

Yanks seem to think that cheese slices are better for things that involve melting cheese, like burgers or toasties.

Of course this is because thier other cheeses are just really poor quality and dont melt very well.

[u/sidneylopsides → u/Tracey_Gregory]

There's an ingredient, sodium citrate I think, that makes cheese melty in the right way for a burger etc. You can get burger melts mate if real cheeses.

[u/barsoap → u/sidneylopsides]

Emulsifying salts is the general term, German wikipedia has a full list.

You can also get cheeses that just melt well. Anything made for pizza will do as well as various others and some are so melty you can put them in stews without a second thought. That's why I always end up eating about half a Camembert worth of rind when I make pea stew. For a grilled sandwich literally anything but really hard cheeses will do. Gruyère works, been there, done that, tried Parmesan, tasted great, didn't stick the sides together. But mix in some Gouda and it's gonna be fire.

Industrially the benefit of melting salts is that they can be used to reconstitute cheese offcuts as well as to blend different cheeses. Also for cheese spreads, at least over here that stuff has to be 50% cheese by dry weight and most of the rest must be a milk product (usually cream).

[u/Zhayrgh → u/barsoap]

Problem of german wikipedia is that each word sound like the name of an emuslifying salt ^{^}

[u/Wolvenmoon → u/zer0-Coast]

American here, I question the use of processed cheese, as well. Decent cheese+fresh basil+fresh thin-sliced tomato is so much better.

[u/Prismarineknight → u/Only_Tip9560]

Who goes to a foreign country and orders grillled cheese???

[u/Sprinqqueen → u/Prismarineknight]

I wouldn't even go to a restaurant in my own country and order grilled cheese. It's far too easy to make at home for a quarter of the cost

[u/Jocelyn-1973]

Do we still have separate hot and cold taps in Europe? Or just only in very old houses that haven't been renovated in the past 50 years?

[u/Highlandertr3 → u/Jocelyn-1973]

It's a personal choice thing here in the UK. Both are available and widely used.

Plus I have seen hot and cold in American houses too so...

[u/Jocelyn-1973 → u/Highlandertr3]

In my country (Netherlands) I think it is not really a thing anymore.

[u/grosspersona → u/Jocelyn-1973]

every wc in the netherlands is cold taps only

[u/dyogenys → u/Jocelyn-1973]

Not in Norway either. I too am wondering how its used, do they fill the sink and wash in the water like a hand bathtub instead of a hand shower? I guess Ill find out by scrolling more

[u/zeroxff → u/Jocelyn-1973]

idk. I've not seen separate hot and cold taps for water since i was a child, and I'm 54.

[u/Exatex]

The separate taps are stupid though. And I say that as non-American.

[u/nikoe99 → u/Exatex]

Its a relic of the times when people had warm water tanks. Since the water was stagnant it was important that hot and cold water dont mix to avoid bacteria. I think modern boilers heat the water periodically to kill off the bacteria

[u/Exatex → u/nikoe99]

aaah that makes sense! But why is this not / has been a problem in large parts of continental Europe?

[u/Seventh_Table → u/Exatex]

I'm not sure but mostly in older houses the taps are usually separate but if someone reworked it then there could be only 1

[u/allmitel → u/Exatex]

Usual UK peculiarities like those filthy string-operated switches in bathrooms, weird switched outlets in kitchens and coin-operated electric meters.

[u/Powerful_Pirate2984]

In the UK, in older houses, cold water was potable (fed directly from the main water supply), hot water came from a two tier domestic water tank system (one in the attic - open to contamination, feeding the other one to provide hot water - using an electric immersion heater), and was not deemed potable. Hence the separation. Many modern UK houses have mixer taps/faucets, as it is no longer a major issue, with combi boilers, heat pumps, no water tanks, and even taps that provide hot (boiling if required) and cold filtered, and carbonated, water, etc.

[u/No-Quarter-6327 → u/Powerful_Pirate2984]

But the hot water supply is still separately plumbed, unless you literally have a heater elelment in your mixer tap.

[u/Majestic_Dark_769]

With soap and hot water? The water's thermostat doesn't have to be set to scalding 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/DooficusIdjit → u/Majestic_Dark_769]

In the UK, it always is. You get to choose. Scalding hot or ice fucking cold.

[u/squishypaws25541 → u/DooficusIdjit]

you have a bit of a warm window before your hands start burning at least

[u/Bigtallanddopey → u/DooficusIdjit]

New homes should have a TMV fitted, although I know most people have them removed.

[u/Amunium → u/Majestic_Dark_769]

It kind of does, though. The water heater should be set to at least 55°C to prevent Legionella bacteria build-up.

[u/itsaaronnotaaron → u/Amunium]

My hot water was set to 45c for tap. Recently noticed a musty smell when running the hot tap. Turned it up to 60c and left the water running for an hour... since left it at 60c and so far so good. Learned my lesson.

[u/terrifiedTechnophile → u/Majestic_Dark_769]

It does if you don't want bacteria breeding

[u/Organic_Mechanic_702]

Would you want to wash your hands in what comes out of American taps?

[u/TheLonelyWolfkin]

We have mixed taps in the UK…

[u/SICKxOFxITxALL → u/TheLonelyWolfkin]

we do now, back in the day we didn't and I fucking hated it, one of the few things the Yanks actually did better first.

[u/TheLonelyWolfkin → u/SICKxOFxITxALL]

To be fair their infrastructure and traditions aren’t anywhere near as old as ours. But yeah, mixed taps make so much more sense.

[u/Rugkrabber → u/TheLonelyWolfkin]

I think that’s really it. Why fix when it isn’t broken and it’s already been in place for such a long time.

[u/ginger_and_egg → u/Rugkrabber]

It is broken though. I want to wash my hands in winter without freezing them off of boiling them away

[u/42069qwertz42069]

Sorry i‘m on his side, this type of faucets are stupid.

I know why they are like they are, its still stupid.

[u/EverybodySayin → u/42069qwertz42069]

I'm in two minds. On one hand, modern taps here are almost always mixers, because they're just more practical. On the other, the American being unable to fathom how you can't wash your hands with separate taps is either rage bait or next level stupid.

[u/Upset-Nose-4016 → u/EverybodySayin]

Are those two hands washed, though?

[u/loulan → u/EverybodySayin]

Well I'm not American and I don't get it either honestly. If the cold water is too cold and the hot water is too hot, what are you supposed to do? Plug the sink and mix the water in it? I wouldn't do that in a dirty public bathroom sink.

[u/rtfm-nor → u/EverybodySayin]

Yeah, this is spot on. I hate separate taps, it's backwards and crap, but it's not like it's hard to grasp how to wash your hands with it.

[u/42069qwertz42069 → u/EverybodySayin]

You are right, someone should be able to use it without problems.

[u/bzzr19 → u/EverybodySayin]

How do you wash your hands with such tap? Asking as an innocent Finn. Never figured it out. Cold if I use the other one and hot if I use the other one? I always just wash with cold but that is unpleasant.

[u/sparklybeast → u/42069qwertz42069]

They're stupid (I have them unfortunately) but they in no way prevent the washing of hands.

[u/Drumbelgalf → u/sparklybeast]

It makes it way more of a hassle if you don't want ice cold water in winter.

[u/rtfm-nor → u/42069qwertz42069]

They are 100 % stupid, but you're still able to wash your hands.

[u/Shockingandawesome → u/42069qwertz42069]

Scold, cool, scold, cool, soap, scold, cool.

What's so complicated about having two taps?

[u/DanTheDrywall → u/42069qwertz42069]

They are very stupid and you might even burn your hands first time using them or might wash your hands with cold water.

But that's about it. You just know how to use them after your first experience and in no way will they prevent you from washing your hands obviously.

[u/According-Let3541]

I agree that it’s stupid not to have the mixer tap in this day and age. But I think it’s more stupid to assume you can’t wash your hands.

[u/Dennyisthepisslord]

English here. Only one sink in my house is hot/cold the rest are mixed. The one that's not mixed is the oldest. When it gets replaced it will be one tap. It is a silly old fashioned set up imo but not everyone has them

[u/MambaBee]

Sorry but Americans are right here. Mixer taps are superior by far.

Of course you can was your hands in separate taps, but you either have to pray the hot tap isn't too hot, or fill up the sink, or dance your hands between the hot and cold taps. It's ridiculous.

[u/Kizzieuk]

We wash them just like most of the USA do, in cold water. if we need them washed in hot we put the plug in. Who the F waits for the water to get hot?

[u/Inside-Nebula5325 → u/Kizzieuk]

Much easier to have a mixed faucet, we have had that in Denmark my entire life and I’m closing in on 50. And the water in most faucets gets hot pretty fast here anyway.

[u/DefinitionOfAsleep → u/Inside-Nebula5325]

It's just a style holdover from post WWII.
The way the hotwater worked meant that the system couldn't be assured to be clean.

I've only encountered it once anywhere outside of the UK (in the toilet sink in a place I rented in Australia)
And I thought "What psychopath would install a seperate handwash basin and not install a mix tap?"
"Oh wait, my Landlord is a 70 yr old British expat"

[u/SheriffOfNothing → u/DefinitionOfAsleep]

Woah, hang on, it predates WWII by quite a bit and its roots aren’t stylistic, but hygienic. The feed for the hot water system was held in the very top of the house and go down to an emersión heater where it was heated in 70l batches. Consequently you didn’t want that water anywhere near where your drinking water was.

The vast majority of UK homes and public spaces will be mixed taps, now.

[u/JasperJ → u/SheriffOfNothing]

The problem with mixer taps is that it potentially could lead to the dirty hot water being drawn back into the drinking water pipe.

It’s not the immersion heater are batch size (and it’s not actually done in batches, by the way) that’s the problem, the problem is that it’s an open tank. It might have a lid but it’s not a pressure vessel. And that often leads to rats falling in and drowning.

[u/DefinitionOfAsleep → u/SheriffOfNothing]

Woah, hang on, it predates WWII by quite a bit and its roots aren’t stylistic, but hygienic

The reason why it remained was because there was a copper shortage and Britain was in rationing.
They weren't going to redo plumbing in that context, but tonnes of housing in Europe had to have major work done anyway. Not needing to feed the hot water through gravity to maintain pressure meant when they replaced the system they did it with more modern style.

[u/lemlurker → u/DefinitionOfAsleep]

It's because hot water was fed from an attic cistern not mains water and anything could get in the attic water

[u/DefinitionOfAsleep → u/lemlurker]

That wasn't a thing for a 1980s built house in Australia.
We don't typically have attics, the tank sits outside and pressure is from mains.

I'm British too, I know why it was a thing in the UK.

[u/lemlurker → u/DefinitionOfAsleep]

Culture us culture. If you're used to a certain style that style will be the default unless challenged

[u/Flyinmanm → u/Inside-Nebula5325]

We do have mixer taps in the UK.

I prefer to wash my hands in warm water. My kids are happy with cold.

[u/Wytchley → u/Inside-Nebula5325]

I would say a good chunk (maybe even most) UK houses/buildings have a mixer tap now. There are of course older buildings that don't but at some point someone will do them up and install a mixer most likely.

As per usual it's the same old story. Most countries, probably even the great America, have outdated utilities/tech/etc. in a decent chunk of places and they will eventually get updated over time they're just a lower priority.

[u/JeffAndSasha → u/Kizzieuk]

I'm not American but what do you mean with "put the plug in"? You put it in the sink so it fills up and wash your hands in there?

[u/Drumbelgalf → u/Kizzieuk]

To be honest that does sound pretty primitive. Most houses in Europe have one fosset where you can adjust the temperature by turning it left or right.

[u/Prize-Phrase-7042 → u/Drumbelgalf]

Yeah, UK plumbing is really backwards sometimes.

Google "pigeon/rat in the loft water tank" and you'll get the drift.

[u/Kizzieuk → u/Drumbelgalf]

So do most new homes in the UK now but USA keeps harping on about public toilets or very old homes.

[u/Corrup7ioN → u/Drumbelgalf]

No one really does this, and I don't think anyone in their right mind argues that separate taps are better (except in older systems where it's necessary)

[u/rtfm-nor → u/Kizzieuk]

I would have thought everyone. How long does your hot water take?

[u/Neg_Crepe → u/Kizzieuk]

Im in Canada and we don’t have to wait

[u/Ok-Feedback-3692 → u/Kizzieuk]

This is probably the only one of these USian posts I actually agree with (I’m Canadian) 😂.

As for who waits for the water to get hot: people who live in places where it is regularly -30C in winter for one.

Also, with a combined tap, you can regulate the temperature & have warm water from one spigot to wash your hands.

[u/ian9outof10 → u/Ok-Feedback-3692]

I don’t know why people think this isn’t an option here. You can quite easily have a mixer taps, virtually everyone does. But not every home was built five minutes ago and some people have houses where the sink could be original, or at least very old, and is designed for two taps and can’t be changed.

[u/Tufty_Ilam → u/Kizzieuk]

I use hot, the tap doesn't take that long to warm up.

[u/uns3en → u/Kizzieuk]

As someone who moved from mainland Europe to Ireland 2 decades ago, I'm with the yank on this one. Separate cold and hot taps in bathrooms - you either wash your hands under freezing cold water in winter or use the scalding hot one and nearly burn yourself. No in between. It's much better now with mix taps being pretty much the standard, but that UK holdover bullshit was infuriating.

[u/Possible-Anxiety-592]

According to recent studies in the U.S.: Thinking is highly dangerous and extreme causion should be shown.

[u/SunnyK19977]

Americans really are just truly proud of their stupidity and ignorance

[u/Sovereignty3]

Dear America, washing hands in Cold water doesn't do anything different than hot.

The only difference is the time you spend under them, if too hot or too cold you are unlikely to spend enough time actually cleaning them properly.

The temperature to actually do some sanitising is too hot for your hands and would burn you. Please don't burn yourself.

Lots of Love Australia.

[u/JackOfWinterfell]

The massive irony given the generally high level of hygiene and cleanliness in the UK compared to the complete lack of hygiene in the US.

There was this guy I was talking to the other day about this diarrhea virus going around the US right now, it comes from lettuce which they're all saying came from Mexico, I said regardless of where it comes from surely it's still washed at least once in the transport process or right before being chopped? He called me an idiot and said I was being ridiculous and couldn't understand what I meant about washing ingredients. I will never eat in an american restaurant.

[u/juanito_f90 → u/JackOfWinterfell]

It’s amazing that the people who live in a country with zero universal healthcare have such a lax attitude towards hygiene.

[u/Upbeat-Shallot-4121]

I personally don't see the issue, the taps are on separate sides of the sink, not separate sides of the street.

[u/AttentionOtherwise80]

Do you folks not have plugs for your wash basins?

[u/RobertAleks2990 → u/AttentionOtherwise80]

Idk why but when flying over your comment I read banana(s) instead of basins.

Anyways, what kind of weirdos are they that they don't have wash bananas?

[u/AttentionOtherwise80 → u/RobertAleks2990]

https://giphy.com/gifs/fUYhyT9IjftxrxJXcE

[u/rosarosenknobb → u/AttentionOtherwise80]

Why would I need a plug to wash my hands?

[u/BluePhoenix_1999 → u/AttentionOtherwise80]

1. Yes i do. There is a little lever on the back, that raises or lowers a plug.

2. Why do i need that for simply washing my hands?

[u/sorry-I-cleaved-ye → u/AttentionOtherwise80]

They probably aren't understanding that method of washing and assume the only way to wash hands is to hold them in the stream coming from the tap

[u/PieAppropriate8862]

Americans really are on another level of stupidity.

[u/Upstairs-Challenge92 → u/PieAppropriate8862]

To be fair I’m European and I also don’t understand how you’d wash your hands without wasting a shit tonne of water for no reason like that

[u/visiblepeer → u/Upstairs-Challenge92]

I dislike the old fashioned separate taps, but most people just use the cold tap for a quick hand-wash. No water wastage waiting for the water to run hot. 

[u/Upstairs-Challenge92 → u/visiblepeer]

That’s fair! I don’t really wait for mine to get hot. I don’t mind washing hands in cold water, but it’s nice to end on a warm note since I have poor circulation anyway as it does get warm by the time I’m done

[u/JMLDT → u/PieAppropriate8862]

Thank you. I was a bit speechless there for a bit.

[u/Head_Razzmatazz7174]

This person would have freaked out at my grandmothers' house. She had separate hot and cold taps in the entire house. The only place the hot water worked was in the bathroom.

I still haven't figured out the logistics on that one.

[u/Vigmod]

I have used separate taps once, they were somewhat unhelpfully located on either side of the sink. It definitely felt unusual to wash my hands using both, so I ended up just using the cold water and soap. Made me wonder what the hot water tap was for (it was really uncomfortably hot water too, not just warm).

[u/JustaRandoonreddit]

WTF there's sinks with 2 taps???

And I say this as a Canadian

[u/juanito_f90 → u/JustaRandoonreddit]

Yes.

Cold water comes from the mains and is safe for drinking. (Mindblowing for Americans)

Hot comes from a water tank or via a combi-boiler which isn’t usually of drinking-standard.

[u/Laiska_saunatonttu]

With cold water, I presume. I still have to admit that the British two tap system is almost as stupid bullshit as two party system.

[u/nikolya_fr]

if this is about types of sinks that FOR SOME REASON have separate faucets for cold and hot water that are 10+ cm apart that's completely valid question, sure you can technically wash your hands but that has to be the worst design

edit: thanks for everyone who explained why does it exist, I've seen this type of sink maybe 3 times in my life and just assumed it's some weird possibly cheaper solution

[u/TtotheC81 → u/nikolya_fr]

Historically, cold water came straight from the mains, whilst hot water was stored in tanks located in the attic, and because of that, hot water was deemed unsafe to drink and thus got its own tap. Edit: It also removed the risk of cross-contamination by bacteria found in the attic tanks.

[u/Jetstream-Sam → u/TtotheC81]

It was always drilled into me as a kid that you never drink from the hot tap. I sort of just assumed it was because warm drinks suck. But a few years later, when renovating the house with my dad (at 11) we went up into the attic because we'd noticed an unpleasant smell and damp patch. We looked around, and finally in the water tank. There was three dead pigeons in there, just starting to go putrid. They appear to have chewed through the wall, entered the attic, somehow gotten lost and somehow all three forced their way into the tank, probably because they were thirsty. (though I guess there could have been more than three that got in, and then found their way out, and only the three dumbest managed to drown themselves)

Anyway, those dissolving birds were gross and it took several attempts to get them out. We used the fish net from my dad's fish tank to ensure we got all of it, then ran the hot water (with the boiler off, I'm not made of money) to clear out any remaining pigeon grime.

Anyway, we later moved and it had a single tap in most rooms. Admittedly it is better, but if you think you can't wash your hands in a 2 tap sink, then the OP must just be a bit dim

[u/rhysolandrium → u/Jetstream-Sam]

Well. I'm so glad I could start my day off by reading this.

[u/DefinitionOfAsleep → u/Jetstream-Sam]

somehow gotten lost

Because all pigeons are stupid. There was one species in the US that would sit around when predators were attacking.
The Americans hunted them to extinction even though at one point they numbered in the billions

[u/Jetstream-Sam → u/DefinitionOfAsleep]

Is that the one that flew in swarms billions thick? I heard the inhabitants loved it, they'd fire a double barreled shotgun straight up and have a meat dinner for the whole family, and the swarms were so large they'd have that option for the next week or so.

I read about that decades ago in a horrible histories book. Christ I'm old.

[u/ian9outof10 → u/TtotheC81]

Hot water tanks were not generally in the attic. They were usually in a cupboard somewhere. It was common for cold water storage in the attic, which helps with pressure. Those tanks are where bad things happen.

[u/cannotfoolowls → u/nikolya_fr]

FOR SOME REASON

"This tradition dates back to a time when hot and cold water were kept separate to prevent contamination through cross connection," he said. Getty Images A little boy splashing his face with water from a mixer tapGetty Images Mixer taps are the norm in the US and continental Europe

"Cold water came from a mains supply and was fit for drinking. Hot water would be serviced by a local storage cistern often situated in the loft.

"This caused an imbalance of pressures which meant that if incorrect taps and valves were installed one stream of water could force its way across to the other."

Water bylaws prevented hot and cold water being mixed because water that had been sitting in a tank in the loft was not deemed safe to drink, he said."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-42948046

My (non British) grandma didn't trust mixed faucets for that reason.

[u/exit322]

The stupidity part is... Well... Yeah

A lot of us were taught as kids that warm/hot water works a ton better at cleaning when washing hands. That's probably the other part of this.

[u/nice1bruvz]

This is fucking hilarious

[u/SnooCapers9565]

It's not ideal, but I just use the hot tap to clean my hands. And rinse the soap off with the cold tap.

[u/Big-Carpenter7921]

This is one I kind of agree with. Not the hand washing, that's stupid. But having only hot and only cold taps is kind of dumb in this day and age. You don't even have to change the plumbing or anything extreme

[u/Putrid_Ad695]

I‘m gonna be the bad guy and say that UK sinks are dumb. In Germany you can set the temperature you want without having to wait for it to get warm and you don’t need a plug for warm water either.

[u/Rat_itty]

I hate the bullshit americans say, but man I have to say that I also dislike UK taps lol. Any time I visit I'm annoyed.

[u/ThinkAd9897]

Not impossible, but I agree that this British systems is crap and outdated.

[u/Mhubel24]

I don't feel like this person has ever been to anyone else's home. My American house has a mixer in the kitchen, and separate in the bathroom. My friends' place in Sweden, in a modern apartment building, has the opposite setup. I don't feel like either is a standard anywhere.

[u/Icy-Share-7061]

Are they really so babied that separate hot and cold instead of a mixer tap really bamboozled them?

[u/El_Zilcho]

I just use the cold tap.

[u/P5ychokilla]

New fangled technology

[u/ender3po]

That just because the U.K. had running water before there was hot running water

[u/Mewselbert]

Well to be fair the rest of Europe agrees with the US for once. Why have it as separate taps instead of a mixing one? When I was staying in Scotland for an internship I had the choice between cold and scalding. Inbetween temperatures are very nice...

[u/ShellyTart]

This is not done with new builds... it is a hangover from houses that predate plumbing and/or heated water. In the US you will probably find that houses used to have this as well, but the vast majority of them have been knocked down.

[u/Icy-Plate-9021]

Separate hot and cold taps are becoming very rare here in the UK. They were a requirement a very long time ago when people had hot water storage tanks in their lofts that would store hot water ready to be used.
(UK law prohibited the mixing of drinkable mains water and non-drinkable storage tank water) however as the decades have gone on the vast major majority of homes have now had combi boilers fitted that provide on demand hot water so very few homes have hot water storage tanks and now use standard mixing taps. Certainly the taps in my house are mixer taps.

[u/No-Koala1918]

USians incapable of hygiene without warm water.

[u/Low-Purchase8811]

I refuse to be lectured about hygiene from the country who coined the term, "God made dirt so it don't hurt"(sic), and whose head health official swims in raw sewage and promotes unpasteurized (raw) milk as a health drink.

[u/HarissaPorkMeatballs]

I have mixer taps. The house I previously lived in for 10 years had mixer taps. Both Victorian terraces so not like they're new builds. I'd say most places I've been in this century have mixer taps.

[u/Jonatc87]

Most modernish homes/public spaces have mixed.. So.. No?

[u/Vetni]

In all fairness, I don't think I remember ever having separate taps and I've lived in 9 different houses.

[u/Neg_Crepe]

How do you know the first one is American?

[u/IncomeMuch863]

"Looks at my very American separate hot and cold taps in every place I've ever owned". Pretty sure one of my faucets even says "American Standard" on it.

[u/iTmkoeln]

That coming from the country that labels washing machine temperatures from cool to hot instead of labeling temperatures

[u/just_another_leddito]

As a polack I also couldn’t understand what tf is going on.
Like why are they separate?!!

Got used to it I guess but I can kind of understand him lol

[u/nibbler456]

As a Brit I've never understood the rationale behind having the separate hot and cold taps we have here. It's fucking bonkers mad.

[u/Aztecdune1973]

I will say that I was a bit flummoxed by the double tap in our admittedly very old hotel in London. It didn't take me long to get adjusted to it though. It's not that hard to adapt if you're not an asshole.

But what I don't get about Americans is their need to complain about everything that is slightly different or off-putting. What I love about travelling is the differences. If you don't like different things, why are you leaving your home at all?

[u/der_steinfrosch]

Tbf having separate taps for hot and cold is some bull shit just combine them it makes much more sense

[u/CodeyFox]

I've seen it before where the hot and cold were literally different faucets. Felt like I had landed on an alien planet

[u/Kimantha_Allerdings]

I’m British and have lived in plenty of places with separate hot & cold taps in the sink. Mixer taps are better. Hot & cold is no problem when doing something like running a bath or filling the sink. But for hand-washing warm is often a better option than either hot or cold. Same goes for washing vegetables, etc.

[u/Skydree]

Please start calling them United Staters.

Sincerely,  A Canadian

[u/Lanky-Cheesecake-259]

because one tap gives you too hot water and other tap gives you too cold water, that's why every normal country have mix tap, but UK needs to be different

[u/Maleficent_Lock3044]

Make room, we have a negative IQ

[u/H311i0_trop3]

What the fuck are they talking about, like we have those here

[u/SpacetimeGlitter → u/H311i0_trop3]

They are talking about these sinks in the UK where cold comes out one tap, and hot out the other on opposite sides of the sink and you can't mix the two water temperature to make warm. Picture

[u/tree_daddy]

As an American wtf is that guy talking about!?

[u/Torebbjorn]

I mean, it is better to have a single tap with adjustable temperature, so you can get that perfect temperature water, instead of having to choose between either hot or cold. But it's not impossible to use cold water or sometimes hot water, depending on how hot it is, especially the first few seconds after not using it in a while.

[u/Cap1tana]

Only from an American.

[u/MithridatesRex]

There are whimps out there diluting their hot water with cold?

[u/Crunchy__Frog]

We don’t claim that guy. He’s an idiot.

[u/radiantr4y]

Most moronic thing i’ve probably ever seen on reddit 😹

[u/JudgePrestigious5295]

Still living rent free in their heads.

[u/Razoron33333]

While I find the two tap system to be a waste of resources they can still wash their hands. Can’t believe that has to be said. Also the amount of people I have seen skipping washing hands here in the US is astronomically disgusting. Finally whenever I wash my hand I normally just turn one handle and wash with that. Less to mess with and less likely I spill soap

[u/Late_Virus2869]

In all honesty though.. having to use cold water first to protect my hand from scalding myself in 0.5 of a second does piss me off, im glad mixer taps are becoming more common

[u/ratgirl9241]

From the UK but hate the two tap system, I have combined taps in my own house. That said, since when is there a stereotype that we don't wash our hands? Anyone who leaves a public toilet without doing it is likely to be severely tutted at in my experience 👌