Just 5 Percent of People Using Public Restrooms Wash Hands Correctly: Study

According to a new study, just 5 percent of people wash their hands correctly after using the public restroom.

The study was conducted by researchers from Michigan State University, who trained college students to report on the hand-washing habits of people using restrooms in bars, restaurants and other public establishments.

"These findings were surprising to us because past research suggested that proper hand washing is occurring at a much higher rate," said Carl Borchgrevink, associate professor of hospitality business and lead investigator of the study.

The study included 3,749 people, and researchers found that 33 percent didn't use soap to wash their hands, and about 10 percent avoided washing hands completely. Also, men were more likely to not wash hands; 15 percent of men compared with 7 percent of women.

Keeping hands clean is one of the best ways to avoid falling ill or spreading germs around. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people wash their hands for 20 seconds to get rid of germs. A recent research has shown that using paper towels to dry hands instead of hand dryers is hygienic.

The study also found that in people who washed hands, 78 percent of women used soap, while just 50 percent of men used soap.

Conditions of the sink, presence of signs reminding people about hand-washing and the time of the day were other important factors that determined whether or not people washed hands.

Researchers say that good hand-washing doesn't just help one person, but also several other people in the society. Borchgrevink has worked as a chef and a manager before becoming a researcher.

"Imagine you're a business owner and people come to your establishment and get foodborne illness through the fecal-oral route - because people didn't wash their hands - and then your reputation is on the line," he said in a news release. "You could lose your business."

The study is published in the Journal of Environmental Health.