If you made it past your sixth birthday, odds are you’ve heard Mom say: “Wash your hands after using the restroom.” Turns out, Mom knew what she was talking about — and science agrees.
Despite that early-life wisdom, studies show that up to 70% of men skip washing their hands after using the toilet. Even worse, 30% of them don’t realize that their hands (and certain nearby body parts) can carry harmful bacteria and viruses after a trip to the john.
Let’s back up Mom’s advice with some data. On average, there are 10,000 to 10 million bacteria on each unwashed hand, depending on what you’ve touched and how clean (or greasy) your hands are. These microbes can include E. coli, Salmonella, Staphylococcus, Norovirus and others you’d rather not share at dinner.
Here’s the good news:
- Washing with soap and water cuts bacteria by about 90%.
- Scrubbing for 20 seconds or more can knock out 99.9% of them.
So please — for the sake of your friends, family, coworkers and complete strangers — wash your hands.
And a word from Dad: When leaving the restroom, if you have to touch the exit door handle, use a paper towel to open the door, then toss it in the conveniently placed trash can. Because if you don’t, you’re literally grabbing hands with the unwashed 70%.
Dr. Charlie Barnett is a contributor at KnoxTNToday for a weekly column, DocTalk, providing his expertise on health and wellness management.
