Does Hot Water Hand Washing Kill More Germs Than Cold Water Hand Washing?
The short answer is: No. The long answer is a 2005 report in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, in which, according to the New York Times, scientists found that the various temperatures of water used in hand-washing had “no effect on transient or resident bacterial reduction. Writing in his “The Claim” column, Anahad O’Connor quotes from the report: “”Temperature of water used for hand washing should not be guided by antibacterial effects but comfort, which is in the tepid to warm temperature range. The usage of tepid water instead of hot water also has economic benefits.” Read more from The Claim.
