Sink Thoughts

The real reason only 5 percent of Americans wash their hands effectively

In conducting an extensive study on hand washing, researchers at Michigan State University uncovered some gross truths.

And the findings just might make you think twice about shaking someone's hand.

The study found the average washing time for women is 7.07 seconds and for men it is 6.27 seconds.

Turns out that after using the bathroom, 10 percent of people skip washing their hands, 33 percent of people don't use soap, and worst of all, a whopping 95 percent of people don't wash their hands correctly.

You might be thinking to yourself right now: "That's not me. I am most definitely in the five percent that does it correctly." But are you?

The study found the average washing time for women is 7.07 seconds and for men it is 6.27 seconds. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says people should wash their hands for 15 to 20 seconds, which would give them enough time to sing Happy Birthday twice.

The CDC say that the best way to prevent the spread of diseases is to wash your hands, so from now on you may want to think about warming up your vocal chords before you head over to the sink.

Here are the CDC's official tips for hand washing (apparently, almost everyone needs them):

Get your hands wet by running them under any temperature water and lather on the soap.
Start scrubbing your hands, ensuring that the soap is not only on your palm, but on the back part of your hand, in between fingers and under fingernails.
After doing this for about 20 seconds rinse your hands.
Using a clean towel or a drying machine, dry your hands.

Though most people don't wash their hands this thoroughly, hand washers are not entirely at fault for this lack of cleanliness.

The study found that the cleaner the sink, the longer the time somebody spent washing their hands. Also, only 64 percent of the public restrooms observed in the study had signs promoting hand washing.

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Hit the Road

Austin City Council passes resolution over MoPac expansion concerns

Photo courtesy of KVUE

The City Council has taken issue with some environmental concerns and planning that may be outdated.

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) has been looking to make improvements on MoPac Expressway South from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane to try to improve traffic. It is looking to add up to four express toll lanes.

But the Austin City Council recently passed a resolution over its concerns with the project.

“[The resolution] tells the city manager to work with the CTRMA on the MoPac South Project. When you see state money being spent on projects that affect the local community, we want to make sure we are holding the highest standard possible," Councilmember Paige Ellis said.

Some of the concerns listed in the resolution include that it's been more than 11 years since CTRMA held its original scoping meeting; that the Recommended Build Alternative has not changed substantially since 2015; and that fine particulate matter in the air in Travis County already exceeds healthy metrics; plus others.

Ellis said she has some environmental concerns.

"The environment is protected for species like the golden cheeked warbler and salamanders, so we want to make we are sure limiting impervious cover," Ellis said.

The CTRMA said its environmental study evaluates potential harms and mitigations to things like water quality and endangered species. The CTRMA added that it has "worked extensively with the city of Austin throughout the study."

Read the full story, including information on how to submit feedback, and watch the video at KVUE.com. CultureMap has added a paragraph to this excerpt listing some details from the City Council document.