Eugh!
New research has found we're not washing our hands properly.
I mean, how can hard can it be? A bit of soap, warm water, rub, rinse and dry, right?!
Well, a study by the US Department of Agriculture discovered that 97 per cent of the time we're washing our hands wrong.
The research, which involved 383 people in six test kitchen facilities in North Carolina, showed most consumers failed to wash their hands and rub with soap for 20 seconds.
That's the amount of time recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says that washing for less than that means germs aren't removed.
"Numerous" consumers also didn't dry their hands with a clean towel.
The study found poor hand-washing practices led to cross-contamination. Well, that's no surprise!
So, what's the correct way to wash your hands?
Here's the CDC's guide:
1. Wet hands with clean, running water.
2. Turn off the tap and apply soap.
3. Lather hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails.
4. Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds (sing the alphabet song once or "Happy Birthday" twice).
5. Rinse hands well under clean, running water.
6. Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry them.
