It is Global Handwashing Awareness Day, a reminder that while many think they know how to wash their hands, there is some important nuance to it.
Local 4 Dr. Frank McGeorge explains the difference between handwashing and using hand sanitizer.
A fun fact: soap doesn’t primarily kill germs—it works by removing them from your skin. Hand sanitizer, on the other hand, kills germs because of its alcohol content.
So which is better? Handwashing wins because it removes germs, plus dirt, sweat, and other residue that hand sanitizer leaves behind.
When washing your hands, be sure to clean every surface.
That means between your fingers, over your fingernails and cuticles, and under your fingernails, where a surprising amount of contamination can hide.
Water temperature doesn’t matter much. In fact, hot water can dry out your skin, so stick with room temperature water.
Soap is important because it breaks the physical bonds holding bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens to your skin, allowing water to rinse them away.
Antibacterial soaps, which contain extra chemicals to kill bacteria, don’t make a difference in ordinary use.
As a doctor, McGeorge says he washes his hands frequently and recommends washing for 20 seconds.
However, he admits to sometimes cutting it a bit shorter if he has just washed recently.
Research shows that rinsing hands under running water for just five seconds can remove 90% of contamination.
Still, 20 seconds is best, and any handwashing is better than none.
One final note on hand sanitizer: it doesn’t kill all bacteria or viruses.
For example, norovirus, which causes severe gastrointestinal upset, isn’t killed by sanitizer.
This is important to remember if you’re on a cruise ship or in similar situations where washing is preferable.