Is hot water better than cold water for washing hands?

Asked by: Paul Waygood, Somerset

Most of the value of hand-washing is the physical rubbing and rinsing action that dislodges bacteria from the skin’s surface. A study at Rutgers University in the US found that hot water was no better than cold at removing E. coli. In fact, water that is uncomfortably hot actually increases the bacterial load, because it damages the natural protective barrier of your skin.

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