Germiest Places You Forget to Clean
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that improperly cleaned hands contribute to almost half of all foodborne illness outbreaks in the US. Studies in places like Penn Station in New York revealed that only 77 to 83 percent of people washed their hands after using a public restroom. Those numbers continue to fall in different locations, such as dormitories, where males only washed their hands 43 percent of the time after urinating and 78 percent of the time after bowel movements. Further studies have revealed that women wash their hands more than men, but neither gender has a 100 percent rate. Always wash your hands before, during and after handling food. Also be sure to wash your hands before eating and after using the bathroom. The CDC recommends singing “Happy Birthday” twice in full to make sure you’re spending enough time lather your hands, including between your fingers and under your nails.
California Department of Pesticide Regulation, “Washing Pesticide Work Clothing” CDC, “Everyday Preventive Actions That Can Help Fight Germs, Like Flu“ Michigan State University, “Hand Washing Practices in a College Town Environment” CDC, “An Ounce of Prevention Keeps the Germs Away” CDC, “Handwashing” NSF International, "Germiest Places in the Home" Arizona State, "Here a germ, there a germ, everywhere a … wait!" Home Food Safety, "Safe Care and Washing of Cutting Boards" Courtesy of Theodor38 | Dreamstime By Yinan Chen, via Wikimedia Commons Courtesy of Michael Pettigrew | Dreamstime Courtesy of Kamil Macniak | Dreamstime Courtesy of Candybox Images | Dreamstime By BrokenSphere, via Wikimedia Commons Courtesy of Patryk Kosmider | Dreamstime By Daniel Baranek, via Wikimedia Commons Courtesy of Inara Prusakova | Dreamstime Courtesy of Matthew Benoit | Dreamstime