14
Jul

The 95%… That Don’t Wash Their Hands Properly

0 No comments

Business Hygiene

Are you a part of the 95%? There has been a study conducted by Michigan State University researchers, who posted up in restrooms, to see if people actually washed their hands properly. What they found, was shocking and frightening. Of the recorded incidents, only %5 of the sample viewed washed their hands long enough to kill all of the bacteria and germs on their hands.

According to lead investigator Carl Borchgrevink of MCU, “These findings were surprising to us because past research suggested that proper hand washing is occurring at a much higher rate.” This is especially shocking given that it is widely known that properly washing your hands can prevent sickness and illnesses, and can even potentially save lives. About 80% of communicable diseases are transferred through touch, so it only makes sense for us to make sure that our mitts are clean as can be!

In the study, men were more likely to ignore correct hand washing techniques. Fifteen percent of men observed didn’t even bother to wash their hands, whereas within the women observed, there was only 7 percent that didn’t wash. Some other factors that attributed to these improper washing techniques were if a sink was dirty, whether or not the person had intended to eat immediately after, or if it was early in the morning or later in the day. On the contrary, people were actually more likely to wash their hands if there was a hand-washing sign in visible view in the restroom, or if there were more people in the restroom with them.

The proper way to wash your hands, isn’t terribly complicated either. You simply run your hands through some cold or warm water, lather soap on your hands and scrub away at both hands, being ardent in getting rid of the germs on your hands. Be sure to scrub beneath your finger nails as well, especially if they’re much longer since dirt and germs are more likely to accumulate there. Make sure you scrub for at least 20 seconds, but the recommended clean time is 30 seconds. Once you’re done washing, be sure to dry your hands with a towel or air dryer, as damp hands are 1000 times more likely to spread germs than dry hands.

If running water and soap are not available to you where you’re at, the next best solution is to used an alcohol based sanitizer, says the CDC. Although this is a great alternative, overuse of hand sanitizer can actually decrease your body’s immune system. This is because your immune system will not be able to gain resistances to new strains of bacteria if they haven’t been exposed to earlier strains.

With all this said, if you were a part of the 95%, perhaps you can change your ways, for a better future for us all. If you are a part of a company who wants touch free faucets to encourage customers to wash their hands more frequently, give us a call today at (512) 396–3486 to find out more. Schedule an appointment to see what Business Hygiene can do for you!

Comments are closed.