Do You Wash Your Hands Properly? The Odds Are You Don’t!
When you were a kid, your mum probably had to remind you to wash your hands after using the toilet – but you don’t need reminding now, right? According to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Health, you might, as only 5% of people were found to wash their hands properly enough to guard their wellbeing against the spread of diseases.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says that you need to wash your hands for 15 to 20 seconds to kill bacteria, in order to prevent the spread of diseases. However, the new study found that, on average, we spend about six seconds washing our hands. In a statement, study researcher Carl Borchgrevink, an associate professor of hospitality business at Michigan State University, commented, ‘These findings were surprising to us because past research suggested that proper hand washing is occurring at a much higher rate.’
For the study, a team of college students observed the hand washing habits of the 3,749 people who used public toilets in bars, restaurants and other locations. Of those observed, 33% didn’t use soap after washing their hands, and 10% didn’t even wash up at all after using the loos. The study also revealed that men were less likely to wash their hands than women, with 15% and 7% not washing their hands, respectively. Plus, only 50% of men used soap, compared to 78% of women.
The researchers found that environmental factors had a further impact on hand washing, as people were less likely to wash their hands if the sink was dirty, but more likely to scrub up if there was a sign reminding them to do so. This study follows another similar study, this time published in the journal Human Communication Research, which showed that men are more likely to wash their hands after using the toilets if they’re exposed to relatable reminder signs.
So, for future reference, what is the best way to wash your hands? Here’s the ultimate hand-washing guide as set out by the CDC:
- Wet your hands with clean water.
- Get some soap and work it into a lather.
- Scrub your hands together for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse
- Dry.
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