Women More Likely To Wash Hands

But Neither Men Nor Women Do So As Often As They Claim

(WebMD)  Washing habits also varied from city to city. For example:

• Sports fans at Atlanta's Turner Field had the worst hand washing habits. About a quarter (26 percent) did not wash their hands after using the public restroom.
  
  
• The biggest disparity between men's and women's hand washing habits was at New York's Penn Station: 92 percent of the women washed their hands after using the restroom compared with only 64 percent of the men.
  
  
• San Francisco shoppers had the best hand hygiene with 88 percent washing their hands after using the facilities.

Hand Washing Habits Vary

The telephone survey showed that the biggest percentage of people (91 percent) say they always wash their hands after using a public restroom versus after any other activity.

Fewer people said they always washed their hands after other activities, such as:

Using the bathroom at home (83 percent)

Before or after handling or eating food (77 percent)

Changing a diaper (73 percent)

Petting a dog or cat (42 percent)

Coughing or sneezing (32 percent)

Handling money (21 percent)

"Only 24 percent of men and 39 percent of women say they always wash their hands after coughing or sneezing," states Brian Sansoni of the Soap and Detergent Association, in the release. "We have to do a better job here in stopping the spread of the germs that make us sick."


Hand Washing 101

Here are tips from the CDC on correct hand washing techniques:

• First wet your hands and apply liquid or clean bar soap. Place the bar soap on a rack and allow it to drain.
  
  
• Next rub your hands vigorously together and scrub all surfaces.
  
  
• Continue for 10-15 seconds or about the length of singing a little tune. It is the soap combined with the scrubbing action that helps dislodge and remove germs.
  
  
• Rinse well and dry your hands.

Sources: News release, American Society for Microbiology, Soap and Detergent Association. CDC.

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By Jennifer Warner
Reviewed by Brunilda Nazario, MD
© 2005, WebMD Inc. All rights reserved.

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