Proper hand-washing is especially important during the cold and flu season. But according to a 2007 study by the American Society for Microbiology and The Soap and Detergent Association only 77% of men and women wash their hands in public bathrooms. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that hand-washing is the single-most important prevention step for reducing disease transmission.
Any time you use the bathroom, wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 15 seconds (the time it takes to sing the ABCs).
After washing, don’t touch the faucet, paper towel dispenser knob or door handle on the way out. Use your forearms or elbows to turn off the faucet and to dispense paper. Carry your used paper towel to the door and use it to open it up, throwing the towel into the garbage afterward.