Why you should sing “Happy Birthday” while washing hands

You might be unaware that you've probably been washing your hands wrong your entire life, according to a new article in the Scientific American. CBS News reported that 95 percent of people are washing their hands incorrectly. And, not washing your hands the right way can have pretty gross unintended consequences — not always not for the person skimping on proper hand-washing hygiene.

Microbiology biology doctoral candidate Michelle Sconce Massaquoi wrote an essay for the Conversation, reprinted in the Scientific American, that revealed some disturbing statistics about hand washing. "I was shocked to read a study that indicated that 93.2 percent of 2,800 survey respondents did not wash their hands after coughing or sneezing," Massaquoi wrote. "Also, a recent study showed that across a college-town environment with observations of 3,749 people, the average hand-washing time was approximately six seconds!"

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has specific guidelines for proper hand washing.

• "Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the 'Happy Birthday' song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them."

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