A study funded by The Soap and Detergent Association and the American Society for Microbiology in August 2007 found that only 77% of people washed their hands in public restrooms, while in a separate telephone study, 92% of adults said they wash their hands.  Hmmm, kind of a discrepancy there.

Harris Interactive performed the study.  They conspicuously observed 6,076 adults in public restrooms in Atlanta (Turner Field), Chicago (Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium), New York City (Grand Central Station, Penn Station) and San Francisco (Farmers' Market).  This does not sound like a particularly enticing job if you ask me.

Observers were told to groom themselves while observing and to rotate bathrooms every hour or so to avoid counting repeat users.  Better make sure to wash your hands next time someone fiddles with their hair an excessively long time in a public restroom!

The bad news is that handwashing declined by 6 percentage points from a study 2 years prior.  The guys only washed their hands 66% of the time.  The good news is that 88% of women washed their hands.  So women washed their hands 33% more often then men.  Makes you want to carry a bottle of hand sanitizer with you, doesn't it?