WASH THOSE HANDS

After you shake hands with someone, go wash your hands. And use plenty of soap! 95 percent of people do not wash their hands properly after using the toilet, according to a study by Michigan State University researchers. A dozen research assistants were specially trained to hang out in public restrooms and unobtrusively watch people's behavior. The following information was recorded on 3,749 men and women who visited the restrooms: 

• Did they leave the restroom without washing their hands? 
• Did they just wet their hands without using soap? 
• Did they wash their hands with soap? 
• How long did they keep their hands under running water? 

The results:

• 33 percent did not use soap. 
• 10 percent didn't wash their hands at all. Broken down by gender: 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women skipped the sink. 
• When they did wash their hands, fully half of men did not use soap, compared to 78 percent of women. 
• While women wash their hands better than men, most are not doing it correctly. 
• Only 5 percent washed their hands long enough to kill illness-causing bacteria. 
• People were less likely to wash their hands if the sink was dirty. 
• People were more likely to wash their hands if there was a sign encouraging them to do so.