Woman Asks for Hot Water to Clean Utensils Every Time She Eats Out, and TikTok's Divided

If you're someone who's really concerned about coming into contact with germs from unknown sources, then going out to eat can be a pretty intimidating experience.

It doesn't help that there are plenty of studies that indicate fast food joints are typically cleaner than five-star restaurants (and probably why former President Donald Trump gushed about his love of global franchises)

But if you have friends groups and loved ones who really like to dine out, you're probably going to tag along with them and get yourself something to eat even if there's some trepidation about ordering food. Maybe you'll ask for pre-sealed plastic utensils to eat your food, or you'll bring your own because you don't trust the staff to properly clean everything to your liking in the back.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there are tons of stories highlighting how eating establishments have upped their cleaning game and there wouldn't be a single server who would bat an eye if you asked to dine with pre-sealed plastic utensils. Well, unless you're worried about getting the cups packaged in this specific viral video, that is.

But if you like eating with metal utensil but still want to ensure that their clean, you could follow this TikToker's advice.

In the video, TikToker @princessmurdaa1 uploaded a video of her meal at a restaurant along with two beverages: one looks like a juice or a cocktail, and the other is a steaming cup of hot water.

The text overlay in the now viral TikTok reads: "Does anybody know why I get hot water everytime I go out to eat?"

In the comments section it became apparent it's to clean the metal utensils that are on the table.

Many restaurants use stainless steel spoons, forks, and knives, and according to Hunker, "A trip through the hot water in a dishwasher is often enough to sterilize stainless steel utensils. They may also be cleaned by rubbing them down with a soft cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol."

While carrying around a bunch of alcohol wipes to apply to pieces of metal you're about to put in your mouth to eat food isn't exactly an appetizing prospect, dipping them in hot water for that little extra piece of mind doesn't seem like too much of an inconvenience.

That is, unless you ask some TikTokers in the comments section of the video who said that requests like the one from the OP in question, who think that the practice is annoying.

Others contested that wiping down forks, spoons, and knives with the hot water in cups that are handed to customers aren't going to be enough to get them clean.

However, there were some who said that utensils were wrapped in napkins by employees with bare hands in their own respective restaurants.

Others said that they "promise[d]" the silverware isn't cleaned and packaged properly at the eating establishments they worked at, so they agreed with @princessmurdaa1's "safe than sorry" dining-out habits.

What do you think? Is the TikToker being way too overly cautious? Or does she have a point about extra cleanliness and you're going to start asking for cups of hot water whenever you go out to eat?