Public restrooms and handwashing

Posted by Judy Arbique Jan 10, 2007

It is difficult to extrapolate information from the few respondants to our poll on restroom handwashing practises to the remainder of the population; however, most of the respondants to our poll (n=21) washed their hands after handling faucets and doors in public restrooms. Eleven of our respondants (52%) indicated that they use a piece of paper towel to handle faucets and restroom doors after washing their hands. Seven admitted that they did not use paper towel for handling either faucets or doors, while only one confessed that (s)he did not wash hands.

So, for those of you that handle faucets and/or doors with freshly washed hands rather than paper towel, consider that one person that failed to wash his/her hands before opening the restroom door, you just contaminated your freshly washed hands with...well, who knows!