How long should you take to wash your hands? UNE's Meghan May offers advice in 'Self' magazine

Meghan May

Most people know that it鈥檚 important to wash your hands frequently, especially after using a bathroom or handling raw meat, but there are often questions about how long we should spend at the sink scrubbing away. To tackle this common question, Self magazine turned to 51品茶 Associate Professor of Microbiology and Infectious Disease Meghan May, Ph.D.

They recommend that you wash for at least 20 seconds. May says that water and soap are both important parts of the process. She explains that a strong flow of water in the beginning of the process can help dislodge some organisms, but that water on its own isn鈥檛 enough. 鈥淚鈥檝e heard some people say you just need to rinse your hands,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 not true. Soap is an extraordinary disinfectant.鈥

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