I know I'm a klutz, but seriously?

[fireheart]

So I have a bit of a reputation for being a klutz at work-I'll drop things, fumble things, fail to catch things, bump into things and so on. I don't bruise easily thankfully.

However today was by far the worst.

I'm not sure if it was chilis or what, but I must've touched something like that...and then I rubbed my eye.

Shortly after that, it was burning like hell. It felt like I was on fire.

One quick trip to the sink and rinsing my eye out repeatedly later....and it stopped burning (just with water only). I was wiping my eyes with the paper towel for ages after that. And I bounced back.

ANy idea as to what could've set it off?

[AccountingDrone]

chili or some common household chemical. Soap can burn like hell in the eye, as can cleaning fluids of various sorts. The crap they moisten baby wipes with can also burn the eyes.

[fireheart]

hand sanitizer maybe?

The sensation wasn't stinging, it was just more like my eye was VERY VERY VERY warm.

I'm thinking what happened was that either:

a) I must've missed/picked up a chili with my bare hands and not sanitized them immediately afterwards (we were insane today)
b) One of the cleaning products must've leaked onto my hands and nobody realised it.
c) I must've got some of our cleaning stuff or the hand sanitizer on my hands and rubbed my eyes.

I might ask if I can watch the footage when I come into work next of me on the register before i had to move.

[Frantic Freddie]

As someone who handles chiles all the time at home,it sounds like you did indeed touch a chile,your description of how warm it felt is exactly what happens.It won't cause any permanent damage but it's damn annoying 'til it goes away.
A cleaning product would probably br much more painful without the warm feeling.

As someone who has rubbed his eyes while peeling & packaging a bushel of green chile (& once went to the bathroom!) without washing my hands you have my sympathy.

[bainsidhe]

Is it possible you touched something with pepper in it? If the pepper itself was on your finger, that might cause it as well.

[Geek King]

As someone who has rubbed his eyes while peeling & packaging a bushel of green chile (& once went to the bathroom!) without washing my hands you have my sympathy.

I had a roommate who made chile with habeneros. He was very careful about not touching his face while doing so. He forgot about going to the restroom though...

[Mikkel]

I had a roommate who made chile with habeneros. He was very careful about not touching his face while doing so. He forgot about going to the restroom though...

From personal experience I can say that with habaneros you can feel it even if you wash your hands before touching, lets say, thinner skinned areas.

[fireheart]

Is it possible you touched something with pepper in it? If the pepper itself was on your finger, that might cause it as well.

could be. Some of the ground salt and pepper will leak out of the containers it comes in if they're not properly sealed.

Now it's becoming my #1 thing I tell to trainees-"WASH YOUR HANDS after touching chilis"