Peer review Water temperature as a factor in handwashing efficacy Barry Michaels,* Vidhya Gangar,† Ann Schultz,† Maria Arenas,† Michael Curiale,† Troy Ayers‡ and Daryl Paulson§ *Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Technology Center, PO Box 919 (Hwy. 216), Palatka, Florida 32178, USA; †Silliker Research and Laboratory Services, 160 Armory Drive, South Holland, Illinois 60473, USA; ‡ABC Research, 3437 SW 24th Ave., Gainesville, Florida 32607, USA; and §BioScience Laboratories, PO Box 190, Bozeman, Montana 59771, USA Abstract Correspondence: For many years, sanitarians have specified that the hands of food service workers Barry Michaels, Georgia- should be washed and rinsed in warm or hot water to reduce the risk of cross- Pacific Corporation, contamination and disease transmission. In the food service environment, it has been Technology Center, PO Box 919 (Hwy. 216), Palatka, suggested that handwashing with water at higher temperatures contributes to skin Florida 32178, USA. Tel: damage when frequent handwashing is necessitated, and that insistence on hot water 386-312-1184. Fax: 386- usage is a deterrent to handwashing compliance. Separate handwashing studies 312-1198. E-mail: involving different water temperatures and soap types (antibacterial versus non-
[email protected] antibacterial) were performed. The ‘glove-juice’ technique was employed for Keywords: microbial recovery from hands in both studies. Initial work evaluated antimicrobial antibacterial soap, efficacy based on water temperature during normal handwashing with bland soap. handwashing, personal Uninoculated, sterile menstrua (tryptic soy broth or hamburger meat) was used to hygiene, skin damage, skin study the effects of treatment temperatures (4.4°C, 12.8°C, 21.1°C, 35°C or 48.9°C) flora, water temperature on the reduction of resident microflora, while Serratia marcescens-inoculated men- strua was used to evaluate treatment effects on the reduction of transient contami- nation.