From a young age, Americans are educated about the importance of washing their hands, but more and more individuals are neglecting to do this very important task. Only 66 percent of Americans wash their hands, according to a survey conducted by the Bradley Corporation.
The number of germs on your fingertips doubles after you use the toilet, according to Tri-County Health Care. Yet, not everyone washes their hands after using the bathroom. This allows germs such as Salmonella, E. Coli and norovirus to remain on their hands, inevitably spreading to their food and any objects they handle afterward.
It is not enough for people to just rinse their hands, they need to adequately wash them, according to the CDC protocol. Nearly 70 percent fail to use soap when they wash their hands, according to the Bradley Corporation.
“Wet your hands … apply soap … lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap… [as well as] the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.” The CDC recommends that you “scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds … rinse your hands well … dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.”
Studies show a significant decrease in bacteria on the hands of people who followed CDC protocol compared to their handwashing routine.
Perhaps Geneseo students are not washing their hands as often as they should because the bathrooms on campus do not have paper towels, nor do they have powerful hand dryers. According to Tri-County Health Care, damp hands spread 1,000 times more germs than dry hands, so washing hands without any efficient way to dry them may seem pointless. To solve this problem, Geneseo should consider installing more powerful hand dryers or stocking eco-friendly paper towels in the bathrooms.