The act of washing your hands only when there are other people there to judge your personal hygiene, for instance in a public washroom.
"Don't shake John's hand. I hear he's a public washer."
OR
"I was in a hurry to leave the office but my boss was in the urinal next to me so I felt like I had to do a public wash before leaving."
OR
"I was in a hurry to leave the office but my boss was in the urinal next to me so I felt like I had to do a public wash before leaving."
by AdamZodiac January 15, 2010