When it comes to washing your hands, you probably think you have the basics down, right? Turn on faucet, put hands under water, use soap, rub together — it's not that hard...or is it?
According to a new study, people tend to wash their hands incorrectly a whopping 97% of the time — a mistake that can lead to some pretty unfortunate consequences. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.
As noted by CNN, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released data determining that most people don't wash their hands with soap and water for a duration of 20 seconds — the amount of time recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On top of that, numerous participants in the study didn't use a clean towel to dry their hands.
The study, which involved 383 people, also looked at various cooking habits surrounding meat. Researchers learned that nearly half of the time, people contaminate their spice containers while cooking burgers, and 11% of the time, people end up spreading bacteria to their refrigerator by not washing their hands properly after handling the raw meat.
If you do eat meat and cook it at home, the USDA recommends using a food thermometer to ensure that the meat is cooked properly, and to always wash your hands thoroughly after touching raw meat.
As for hand-washing techniques, the CDC has some tips that you can follow. When lathering with soap, be sure to get the front and back of your hands, as well as in between your fingers, and under your nails, before scrubbing for 20 seconds. (They suggest singing "Happy Birthday" twice if you need a timer, although I did some calculations too, and you could also belt out half the chorus of "No Tears Left to Cry." You're welcome.)
The CDC also recommends drying your hands with a clean towel or air drying them if that's not an option. According to their data, washing hands correctly while cooking is one of the best and easiest ways to avoid foodborne illnesses — which affect approximately 48 million people each year. But washing your hands is important outside of the kitchen too; the CDC reports that proper handwashing can reduce respiratory illnesses, like colds, by 16-21%. It also reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 31%.
So take a few minutes to make sure you have some nice-smelling soap on hand in your kitchen — pun entirely intended — and set that timer. Your body will thank you.
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