- Josh Cooke
Hand Washing
5 Hand Washing Facts Most People Don't Know
The purpose of handwashing is simpler than most people might think.
A common misconception which we discuss at length within our food safety classes to prep for the ServSafe exam, is that handwashing is not intended to "kill", or sanitize, our hands. The soap and warm water are used simply to loosen dirt, grime, and pathogens (bacteria or viruses) from the surface of the skin, and send all those items down the drain and into the septic or sewer systems. Washing hands is no different than washing a lasagna pan with baked on food debris. At home we use warm water, soap, and friction to break up the debris before putting away the clean dish. People also tend to wash hands longer due to trying to rinse all of the soap off of the hands. Hand washing is that simple!