Washing your hands: One minute with soap is the key to reducing germs!

Washing your hands: One minute with soap is the key to reducing germs!

A new study by the Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology at MedUni Vienna has revealed how crucial the duration of hand washing is for reducing germs. According to the researchers, led by Romana Kordasiewicz-Stingler, simply rinsing your hands after using the toilet is of no use. Public toilets often only have sinks with cold water available, and many people wash their hands inadequately, which can lead to the spread of infectious diseases.

As part of an experiment, test subjects' fingers contaminated with E. coli bacteria were immersed in water and their hands were then washed under various conditions. The results were clear: washing hands for just ten seconds with cold water reduced the germ concentration by 1.93 powers of ten. Warm water at 40 degrees Celsius performed similarly, with a germ reduction of 2.01 powers of ten, reported Small newspaper. In addition, no significant difference was found between the two temperatures.

The optimal time for washing hands

The key finding of the study, however, is the duration of hand washing. A one-minute wash with soap achieved a reduction in the number of germs by an impressive 2.68 powers of ten. This beats the results of both ten and 20 second handwashing, which performed significantly worse. “The duration seems to have an impact on the germ reduction,” said the scientists. The results underline the need to be thorough when washing hands to prevent the spread of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases, as emphasized in the publication by the German Society for General and Hospital Hygiene, as well as the crown reported.