Do You Wash Your Hands the Right Way?

File this under gross news: Only five percent of people wash their hands the right way after they use the bathroom, according to an observational study recently published in Journal of Environmental Health.

In the study, trained observers from Michigan State University documented the hand-washing habits of 3,749 people in local public restrooms. What they found: Ninety-five percent of bathroom users didn’t wash their hands for 15 to 20 seconds, the length of time the CDC recommends to kill infection-causing germs. Even worse: A third didn’t bother to use soap, and 10 percent skipped washing their hands altogether. Ewww.

At least the worst offenders weren’t in the ladies’ room: Fifteen percent of men didn’t wash their hands at all, compared to the seven percent of women who skipped the sink. And only half of all men used soap, compared to 78 percent of women.

“People think their hands are cleaner than they are,” says lead investigator Carl Borchgrevink, PhD, associate professor at Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality Business. But the truth is, no matter how neatly you do your business, it’s tough to leave the bathroom with clean hands—mostly because it’s a high-traffic place, he says.

Depending on the type of bacteria living on the bathroom door, toilet handle, faucet, towel dispenser, and other communal surfaces you touch, icky germs—think E. coli and staphylococcus—can be incredibly easy to pick up. And once these bacteria get into your system (whether it’s from your touching your mouth or your sandwich—which ends up your mouth), they can cause infections or viruses, says Robert Klein, chief of the division of infectious diseases at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals in New York City.

Your best defense is to lather up the right way, immediately after you use the restroom. That means using soap, which helps bacteria float off the skin, and scrubbing and rinsing thoroughly, which ensures that the buggers end up down the drain, says Borchgrevink. To really get rid of most of the bacteria, the entire process should take 20 seconds—about the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.

Think you’re in the clear because you’re a hand sanitizer junkie? While alcohol-based formulas will kill surface bacteria, they don’t fully remove residue from food or other filth—and they also don’t touch the bacteria below the surface of that residue. Meaning? Hand sanitizer should be your backup plan; it’s smarter to suds up in the sink when you can.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Hand-Washing
6 Ways to Have Good Gym Hygiene
Your Purse Is as Germy as a Toilet

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Do You Wash Your Hands the Right Way?

File this under gross news: Only five percent of people wash their hands the right way after they use the bathroom, according to an observational study recently published in Journal of Environmental Health.

In the study, trained observers from Michigan State University documented the hand-washing habits of 3,749 people in local public restrooms. What they found: Ninety-five percent of bathroom users didn’t wash their hands for 15 to 20 seconds, the length of time the CDC recommends to kill infection-causing germs. Even worse: A third didn’t bother to use soap, and 10 percent skipped washing their hands altogether. Ewww.

At least the worst offenders weren’t in the ladies’ room: Fifteen percent of men didn’t wash their hands at all, compared to the seven percent of women who skipped the sink. And only half of all men used soap, compared to 78 percent of women.

“People think their hands are cleaner than they are,” says lead investigator Carl Borchgrevink, PhD, associate professor at Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality Business. But the truth is, no matter how neatly you do your business, it’s tough to leave the bathroom with clean hands—mostly because it’s a high-traffic place, he says.

Depending on the type of bacteria living on the bathroom door, toilet handle, faucet, towel dispenser, and other communal surfaces you touch, icky germs—think E. coli and staphylococcus—can be incredibly easy to pick up. And once these bacteria get into your system (whether it’s from your touching your mouth or your sandwich—which ends up your mouth), they can cause infections or viruses, says Robert Klein, chief of the division of infectious diseases at St. Luke’s and Roosevelt Hospitals in New York City.

Your best defense is to lather up the right way, immediately after you use the restroom. That means using soap, which helps bacteria float off the skin, and scrubbing and rinsing thoroughly, which ensures that the buggers end up down the drain, says Borchgrevink. To really get rid of most of the bacteria, the entire process should take 20 seconds—about the length of time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice.

Think you’re in the clear because you’re a hand sanitizer junkie? While alcohol-based formulas will kill surface bacteria, they don’t fully remove residue from food or other filth—and they also don’t touch the bacteria below the surface of that residue. Meaning? Hand sanitizer should be your backup plan; it’s smarter to suds up in the sink when you can.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More from Women’s Health:
Your Step-by-Step Guide to Hand-Washing
6 Ways to Have Good Gym Hygiene
Your Purse Is as Germy as a Toilet

javahut healthy feed

The RIGHT Way to Make a Big Purchase with Your Guy

When things are awesome with your boyfriend, it’s natural to start thinking about moving in together, ring or no ring. But these days, millennials are taking that a step further—one in four couples aged 18 to 34 is actually buying a home together prior to tying the knot, according to according to a new Coldwell Banker Real Estate survey.

It seems intense, but under the right circumstances, investing in a place together can seem like the logical move. (Throwing away rent money you’ll never see again when you can pay the same amount to actually own property? No thanks.) But in even better news, experts say it can also earn you serious relationship perks.

“When you make a long-term investment in something together, you’re also reaffirming a long-term commitment to each other,” says Victoria Collins, PhD, psychologist, financial planner and author of Couples and Money.  “Buying big-ticket things like homes or cars together is an intimate process that makes your lives even more intertwined.”

If you’re ready to make a big financial leap with your S.O., awesome. But before putting all that money up, Collins recommends approaching the process strategically to ensure you both get what you want.

Set your priorities
Talk through your initial expectations. Whether you’re investing in a home or a flat-screen, you probably both have different must-haves in mind, and it’s important to be in tune with what the other wants, says Collins. Put your heads together and decide the top non-negotiables you both agree your [insert big-ticket item here] should have.

Come clean about your cash situation
You wouldn’t order take-out if you didn’t have the cash to pay the delivery guy—and it doesn’t make sense to make a long-term financial commitment without first sussing out your joint finances to see what’s realistic, either. Lay everything out on the table—bank statements, credit card bills, the whole nine yards—and talk openly about what’s practical, suggests Collins. It may not be the sexiest way to spend your Saturday night, but full disclosure now can help prevent any unpleasant surprises down the road. Plus, establishing open communication about something so personal fosters serious trust.

Set boundaries
After crunching the numbers, establish a price range you’re both comfortable with and seriously (!) stick with it. It may seem like no big deal, but cheating your budget even a smidge sets a dangerous precedent for future financial decisions and could cause underlying tension (especially if one of you is more of a saver than a splurger), says Collins.

Present a united front
When you’re talking to an agent or a salesperson, Collins suggests keeping your thoughts on the various options close to your chest. Jot your reactions down on paper or your phone, and regroup with your guy later to discuss. That way you can make a choice together without a pushy agent breathing down your neck. You should also deliver your decision as a unit, says Collins. This keeps you both in the driver’s seat and will subconsciously reinforce your roles as mutual stakeholders in your purchase—and your relationship.

Set your terms
Before signing on the dotted line, iron out who’ll pay what and what would happen if you ever do split down the road, suggests Collins. Record everything on paper, and have that agreement notarized, just as a worst-case-scenario insurance policy. It’ll definitely be awkward, but it’s more than just smart business sense—these preparations can ward off anxiety about that what if scenario. The peace of mind is totally worth it.

Keep talking
Duh statement of the year: Expensive things can take a long time to pay off. Who knows what unexpected bills may pop up along the way? To make your arrangement work long-term, you have to keep the lines of communication open and make adjustments you’re both comfortable with as needed, says Collins.

photo: iStockphoto/Thinkstock

More From Women’s Health:
Are You a Good Money Match?
The Money Mistake You’re Probably Making
Money Secrets Couples Keep

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