Hands not clean enough, says survey

Research indicates that New Zealanders are not cleaning their hands well enough to stop the spread of disease.

The Tork Hygiene Survey, conducted in late March by international research company TNS, explored Kiwis' habits and attitudes about hygiene. Tork, a brand of paper towel used in public toilets, is made by SCA.

The study was prompted by the threat of bird flu and the Health Ministry saying that one of the biggest defences against a viral pandemic was for people to wash and dry their hands.

"I know it sounds ridiculous to suggest that adults don't know how to wash their hands properly," SCA spokesman Mark Stevens said yesterday.

"What's surprising is that 46 per cent of Kiwis don't perceive that drying their hands is extremely important - as important as washing them."

Research in 1999 by Dr Tom Miller and Daniel Patrick of Auckland University's department of medicine showed wet hands could transfer more than 70,000 microbes by touch. But once they were dried properly that number dropped to just a few hundred.

"Similarly, wet hands can transfer over 35,000 microbes to food but once they are dried properly that number reduces to just 550."

According to the research, there were two quick and efficient ways of drying hands: the "10/20 method" - 10 seconds with a paper towel and another 10 seconds to 20 seconds under a hot air blower; or, if no hot air blower was available, then a further 10 second to 15 seconds with fresh paper or cloth towel.

To achieve the same result with a hot air blower on its own, it needed to be used for 45 seconds but most people used them for only 15 seconds.

The TNS survey showed that 86 per cent of women considered washing hands to be extremely important compared to 68 per cent of men.

Ninety-three per cent of women washed their hands after using the toilet at home compared to 82 per cent of men. Also, 36 per cent of men and 20 per cent of women did not always wash their hands before preparing a meal.

Nine per cent of people always washed their hands after shaking hands.

On bird flu, the TNS survey showed 26 per cent of men were not at all concerned about it, 11 per cent said they would not go to work if there was a bird flu pandemic and 9 per cent said they would stop buying or eating chicken if there was a flu pandemic.

- NZPA