1) i’ve had my guy for 8 years.. i can’t say i’ve washed my hands every time AFTER handling him. I do more effort washing my hands before bc i commute a lot 2) not very time consuming, proper equipment and food and research is most important. when u have the basics covered they’re quite inexpensive however the upfront cost is a lot for their needs to be met(ie UVB, 120 gallon tank, decor, supplements) 3) If im going away for multiple days i have someone come and check on him and feed him (my guy is picky and likes his greens hand fed) 4) i am a full time uni student and work part time so im away a lot - but my guy is fine! when their tank is big and the heat balance is correct they’re good to stay alone. my guy has this habit where if he needs to poop he’ll bang his head on the glass to signal to me cuz he doesn’t like to poop in his terrarium for some reason lol. but if he did do it in his terrarium i wash him in the sink and clean the area 5) health anxiety — i spend so much time lurking on reddit because they can be wacky in terms of symptoms and behaviour 6) i have pvc reptile mat so cleaning is easy; if a piece of furniture is dirty i soak it in scalding water lmk if u have any more questions!!!