Research from Michigan State University showed that 95% of us don’t know how to clean our hands in the correct fashion.
The study, which examined the bathroom habits of more than 3,700 people in public toilets in the US, found that just 1 in 20 is washing their hands properly. The remaining are either doing it incorrectly or not doing it all – 1 in 10 did not bother.
Most people are only washing their hands for six seconds when they should be spending three times that amount of time on the task.
Handwashing involves five easy and effective steps:
- Wet your hands with running water and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap.
- Scrub all surfaces of your hands for at least 10 to 15 seconds.
- Rinse your hands under running water.
- Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dry them.
Health experts warn that failing to wash our hands properly can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, food poisoning, flu and the spread of MRSA.