What else don’t you know about handwashing?

October 15 is Global Handwashing Day. To mark the occasion, we’ve prepared a few surprising facts about this simple act for you.

• Hot or cold? Does water temperature matter when it comes to the effectiveness of handwashing? No—you can get rid of bacteria and viruses just as effectively by washing your hands with warm water as with cold water. What matters more is the duration of the activity and proper technique. Warning! Washing your hands with water that’s too hot can damage your skin!
• Research conducted by scientists at Michigan State University shows that only 5% of people wash their hands long enough to get rid of most germs. The recommended handwashing time is at least 20 seconds.
• Washing your hands isn’t enough. You also need to dry them thoroughly, preferably with a clean towel. Otherwise, all the effort you put into washing them properly could be wasted. Why?
• As reported on initial.co.uk, only 20% of people admit to drying their hands after washing. Meanwhile, the risk of spreading germs is 1,000 times higher with damp hands than with dry ones!
• We know that hands should be washed after coming home, before preparing food, and after contact with animals. However, it is less widely known that this should also be done after sneezing, coughing, and blowing your nose.
• The Polish Association of Epidemiological Nurses reminds us to properly clean our entire hands and pay attention to often-overlooked areas—including the tips of the fingers, the backs of the hands, and the area under the nails. The area between the skin and the nail is an ideal environment for bacterial growth, so it must be washed particularly carefully. And the most commonly overlooked part of the hand is… the thumb!
• Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have proven that artificial and painted nails “attract” more germs than natural ones. Microorganisms attach more easily to damaged parts of the nail and to the adhesive on artificial nails. Especially with long nails, both the top and bottom surfaces should be cleaned with a special brush. Fun fact: for this reason, healthcare workers are prohibited from wearing long and painted nails, as well as rings, wedding bands, watches, and other jewelry!
• Data published on metro.co.uk illustrates just how poor hand hygiene is. Fecal bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, are found on 14% of banknotes and 19% of credit cards.