Study indicates 10 second wash eliminates
harmful bacteria
By Robin Lally
We all know that
washing our hands can keep us from spreading germs and getting sick. But a new
Rutgers-New Brunswick study found that cool water removes the same amount of
harmful bacteria as hot.
The water temperature does not make a difference in removing
harmful bacteria, according to a Rutgers-New Brunswick study.
“People
need to feel comfortable when they are washing their hands but as far as
effectiveness, this study shows us that the temperature of the water used
didn’t matter,” said Donald Schaffner, distinguished professor and extension
specialist in food science.
“This
study may have significant implications towards water energy, since using cold
water saves more energy than warm or hot water,” said Schaffner. “Also we
learned even washing for 10 seconds significantly removed bacteria from the
hands.”
While the study
indicates that there is no difference between the amount of soap used, more
work needs to be done to understand exactly how much and what type of soap is
needed to remove harmful microbes from hands, said co-author Jim Arbogast, vice
president of Hygiene Sciences and Public Health Advancements for GOJO.
“This is
important because the biggest public health need is to increase handwashing or
hand sanitizing by foodservice workers and the public before eating, preparing
food and after using the restroom,” Arbogast said.
These findings
are significant, particularly to the restaurant and food industry, because the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues guidelines, every four years, to
states.
Those guidelines currently recommend that plumbing systems at food
establishments and restaurants deliver water at 100 degrees Fahrenheit for
handwashing.
Schaffner said
the issue of water temperature has been debated for a number of years without
enough science to back-up any recommendation to change the policy guidelines or
provide proof that water temperature makes a difference in hand hygiene.
Many states, in fact, interpret the FDA guidelines as a requirement that
water temperature for handwashing must be 100 degrees, he said.
The FDA is
scheduled to hold a conference in 2018 to discuss the existing code and any
modifications that should be made and Schaffner would like to see the water
temperature policy revised at that time.
“I think this
study indicates that there should be a policy change,” said Schaffner. “Instead
of having a temperature requirement, the policy should only say that
comfortable or warm water needs to be delivered. We are wasting energy to heat
water to a level that is not necessary.”