Three out of four Americans say they wash their hands more frequently, more thoroughly or longer in response to viral outbreaks, according to an article on the Infection Control Today website.
The findings are part of the 10th annual Healthy Handwashing Survey by the by Bradley Corporation that queried 1,264 adults throughout the United States Jan. 3-8, 2019.
Nearly 2 out of 3 Americans believe their hands are less germy after washing with soap and water than after using hand sanitizer according to the survey.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while hand sanitizer can be beneficial, washing with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs. And, the CDC says it’s important to know that hand sanitizers are not effective when hands are visibly dirty.