Should You Really Wash Your Hands?

What do we really mean when we say that we’re clean?
Check out Melissa’s video at Clean My Space! • Are You Washing Your H...
Many thanks to Google’s Making & Science team for making this collaboration possible #sciencegoals
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↓Want more gross info?↓
The concept of hygiene and the human microbiome:
biobe.uoregon.edu/2017/01/11/...
Time to abandon the hygiene hypothesis: New perspectives on allergic disease, the human microbiome, infectious disease prevention and the role of targeted hygiene:
www.grahamrook.net/resources/B...
The Scientist: Microbes of the Skin:
www.the-scientist.com/?article...
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Host, Writer, Producer, Editor
Anna Rothschild
Illustrator, Animator
Jason Drakeford
Camera, Sound
Natasha Ishak
Rolling Underground
Music provided by APM
Many thanks to Dr. Roo Vandegrift
Gross Footage
Original Footage
©WGBH Educational Foundation 2017
Hand Dryer
Pond5/asiaview
man with dirty hands
Shutterstock/Kim Reinick
Gross SFX
Cockroaches
Freesound/StateAardvark­
(used with permission from author)
Squeak Pack/squeak_10
Freesound/Corsica_S
Running Water Bubbles 02
Freesound/kijjaz
Wink
Freesound/bennychico11
Hand dryer 9 hand movement
Freesound/1chris.murray1
Marker writing on paper
Freesound/ftpalad
Pencil Check Mark 2
Freesound/jakobhandersen
Produced by WGBH for PBS Digital Studios

[@erdvilla]

As I child I played in the mud, ate dirt, scratched my knees, got stung by all bug that could stung me (luckily no Black widows included there, but a couple of scorpions). So I had an interesting Inmune system training.

[@catpoke9557]

So basically.. you were Coyote Peterson. He literally has been stung by every bug he found interesting enough to do a video on, and he put a black widow on his hand, but didn't let it bite him

[@masaharumorimoto4761]

OCD hand washer checking in!!! Trust me, you're better off NOT washing 100 times a day... The rashes on my hands never go away.

[@jabowa]

Started seeing someone with small children. For the first few months I was constantly getting sick...now we're almost a year in and I'm able to handle the new germs.

[@cleanmyspace]

Thanks for collaborating with us Anna!!!

[@grossscienceshow]

No, thank YOU!

[@tattooyu]

Clean My Space. Two of my favorite channels mashed up. Who knew!

[@user-dt6xj7so3b]

when ur microbe dont tag u in memes anymore

[@penny4life582]

I feel so gross because I have tactile defensiveness and washing my hands causes excruciating pain in my hands for at least the next hour and a half. I usually only rinse my hands and then use hand sanitizer. But I never really get sick, I usually get the cold during cold season but I only have it for like a day. Maybe being non hygienic has actually helped me? 😂

[@unnamednewbie13]

I don't know how unhygienic you think you are if you use hand sanitizer.

[@ll-pu8vh]

@@Searching4CB that's harsh jeez

[@robindiamondhands6416]

Are those tampons?!

[@SlyPearTree]

I'm glad I'm not the only one without a clean mind.

[@Purplesquigglystripe]

Just another one : or bacillus bacteria to be specific

[@larachahinian2206]

Just another one I WAS JUST ABOUT TO SAY THAT

[@ArleneAdkinsZell]

Glad I'm not the only one that saw tampons.

[@Yewon2001]

I'm 100! Yay!

[@Rjoysmith1211]

I love the blue tampons in the background.

[@DesperateSol]

uhh they are bacteria

[@saucexmommy6967]

Stormlit nah they look more like tampons

[@crystalrain3334]

as a kid, I would purposely not wash my hands properly behind my parent's back because I believed that it would help me. I wasn't told this, just believed it. And, look now, society's actually catching up with my childhood thoughts. weird.

[@gigglysamentz2021]

For targeted hygiene, clean the things that get touched with your hands all the time. Light switches, door handles, microwave buttons XD

[@myfirstcrappyvideobilly]

Your genitals

[@0525loki]

Sheesh where have you been Anna, we missed your videos and that infectious smile. Keep up the great videos.

[@YouKnowImOnMyPeriodYah]

**is in 2020 where coronavirus is spreading quick** Yes.... yes you should

[@AmazingJellyfish]

are those blue tampons in the background or blue microbes?

[@gautampassi3863]

I was waiting for a new Gross Science Video. Thanks Anna!

[@Small_Hat_Crew]

Before watching: of course! After watching: of course!

[@imvegan6989]

TechnoNecro of course!

[@user-cs6fl7zp8b]

No blyat

[@amicableenmity9820]

Yes! C diff can be prevented in most cases by washing hands.

[@nachozombiekilla481]

My ex was a microbe. I washed my hands of her but it cost me a fortune.

[@LogsMaggot]

So we basically have billions of tiny little tampons on our skin and everywhere all around us, great.

[@mathieuleader8601]

in regards to these old friends microbes and the scary future the phrase with friends like these you needs enemies

[@mathieuleader8601]

is their a difference with microbes on people with different Melanin levels or skin conditions

[@crs5912]

that might be true, i see that western is more likely hygiene, and they are like having so. many types of allergic, like peanut blabla... i live in Indonesia, and never found anyone that having severe allergic.. maybe just like coughing or sneeze when there is a lot of dust

[@judithcruz3680]

The microbes look like spikey tampons. OUCH!

[@mathieuleader8601]

is this the first episode of series 3

[@jirahblikestheinternet248]

i like watching these videos early in the morning so theres more time to freak out

[@SimderZ]

A peck of dirt folks.. Our immune systems are becoming so compromised leading to a rise in diseases like Crohns, Asthma, etc.. I suffer with Crohns/Colitis which are severe and devastating. .

[@anikaanjumhridita8660]

is pcos curable Anna? I Am soo depressed :(

[@IMADALBASRII]

amazing the man some where in Iran had not been showered or wash hands for so many years I believe over 40 years it's show the body could handle to defend it celles

[@s4ka3_]

mehhh....I don't know why im still awake at 2:00am

[@liorgeva9001]

What is the name of that mesmerizing background music?

[@marptrsn498]

Can youdo a video about what asthma is

[@zsix6]

the more i watch Gross Science... the more paranoid i get.... im not touching anything ever again...

[@AbudBakri]

I haven't washed my hands in days. #oldfriendshypothesis

[@issamissam1246]

you're every were

[@mohannedmajdalawi5314]

I see people walking in and out of bathrooms and not wash there hands, so nasty

[@audiofile8311]

I haven't bathed in days.

[@audiofile8311]

just kidding, weeks.

[@ZiCell]

it's ok, me too

[@ViewtifulSam]

great episode! love the animation

[@nebulatv4366]

Can you do a video on puberty and hormones

[@alveronandreas4483]

We should use phages included soap, because phages only target one specific bacteria, we minght be able to extract phages from the enviroment (which target harmfull bacteria and extract it to our soap)

[@pure_awesomensspbandj4895]

That wouldn't work. Bacteriophages take a significant amount of time to actually successfully kill a bacterium. You'd need to leave the soap on for hours for it to work. Besides, there are millions of different species of bacteria that cause harm to humans, so there would have to be millions of different species of phages included. Soap works better as it is.

[@blakew3040]

are you going to do a video on how your stomach looks when you throw up??

[@Tracks777]

Awesome! Keep it up!

[@jokrwx3]

i will watch my hands with water only

[@nefarious69poopi]

During this, I thought of how cowpox stopped smallpox. Why? Why did I think that?

[@mathieuleader8601]

love your dog cameo

[@konstantinoskouratoras8079]

what are hela cells

[@Shrooms00087]

So it's no longer considered rude if I shake hands with the same one I used to hold the o'l snake? "Can't get mad, I'm making you healthy".

[@animalfunnyclips1828]

Oh yeah another gross science video!!

[@LuigiJill]

Mr. Goodman you watch sml?

[@animalfunnyclips1828]

Mrs. Bear Bear um yeah?

[@penginbot]

2:03 totally agree

[@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws]

Yeah well how did Covid affect this video? I have asthma (mature onset) but was a grubby little tyke who grew up amongs horses and dogs and other farm animals in the sixties. They say we consume a ton of sh... in our lives and I dont ever remember a screaming desire to wash my hands as a kid so I think, all in all asthma aside, I have a really healthy, super well primed immune response. I did grow up during a typhoid outbreak in Aberdeen before moving to the country. I can remember the hand washing being super important then, but once I was out in the country I washed about as often as my horses did lol! Also is there a reason for the tampons?

[@erictaylor5462]

0:45 GO DUCKS!

[@KauanRMKlein]

YAY!! New video!!

[@mrburgermaster]

Not being on top of hand washing is all fine and dandy, until you're a healthcare provider and spread VRE, MRSA, and C. Diff to the whole unit.

[@javierescontrias]

also I love it when you say your full name. don't take that away from me, it's one of my last little pleasures that make my life happy.

[@DDG2023]

/pol/ - Politically Incorrect Nah. Nobody is afraid of people like you anymore.

[@DDG2023]

Hmmm, no, not really no. I have zero interest in any type of exchange of money, or anything else really, outside of mockery (one way I fear; from me to you.) Off you go then.

[@issustaita]

that's the reason I don't take showers

[@chatslady6834]

Well, at least I'm never alone.

[@KauanRMKlein]

The answer is: *We don't know, let's create a General Self-Seeding AI to fix everything!!!* ☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️☺️

[@eugenetswong]

I'm glad that they are asking these questions. After all, I was never really satisfied with the idea of leaving our hands dirty, and never satisfied with trying to be always clean.

[@Gravage]

Was that a spider on the wall by the flushing toilet at 2:14?

[@anthonybeervor2265]

I follow the #nofriendshypothesis. As long as I don't interact with anyone, I can't catch their microbes!

[@friendlygangsta3765]

1:46 tampon?

[@maybe866]

I love your channel!

[@grossscienceshow]

+Chloe Koda Thank you, Chloe!

[@_iq.hugwn_6036]

video không có vietsub à

[@mirtul1]

And here I thought I didn't have any friends!

[@nav_1689]

Why do I have to wash my hands before taking food into my mouth: @

[@Knownsky]

Short answer: yes

[@OmegaMegalodon]

I always wash my feets, I think my feets is cleaner then my hands.

[@MrThomazSatiro]

The answer is YES -By: 2020

[@etherealrat1818]

Yes

[@benwilson1088]

Thing that scares me in this area of science is how fast that diseases can be transmitted over the whole planet, before local biosphere can produce natural predators. Invasive species reference point.

[@HebaruSan]

What about your butt? Should you wash your butt? I have 100 more follow-up questions after this one.

[@Botruc]

I always thought that the hygiene hypothesis was more refering to worm infections rather than 'friendly bacteria'. If you look at a map where allergies are common and where worm infections are the most prevalent, you will see that there is very few overlapp. Since worm infections elicit mostly a Th2 immune response (the same as allergy) rather than a Th1 (viruses and bacteria), it would make more sense that it's the disappearance of parasitic worms like intestinal nematodes that caused an immune inbalance resulting in the immune system reacting to innoffensive epitope resulting in allergy. You should do an episode on parasitic worms!! They are really gross!

[@joshuamcdermott1698]

You're so much fun you should be illegal!

[@ej3411]

I freaking love her ew at the end

[@Moscato_Moscato]

No we should have desanitizing stations to strengthen our immune system, Jim

[@DDG2023]

ITT: Let's all talk about tampons.

[@dewaynetrenumtrenum6835]

I heard if you put your hands in the dirt then you put your hands in your mouth you will get pin worms like I do.😕

[@Kukkakukko]

I wash my hands when they are dirty. Or when it’s obvious, like cooking etc, arse wiping things.

[@eddihurta7173]

Hey has anybody seen GradeAUnderA? If you live in a field you use the bathroom than your hands are relatively clean, you wiz on a wall and non gets on your hand your relatively clean, so the answer is, Break your sink and try not touching your don't and you will be clean!

[@Rowankeenanx3]

I don't wash my hands after the toilet and honestly i dont care.

[@lawofparsimony]

is this like the paleo diet for your hands?

[@waysidejokester]

This wasn't so much about the title as I thought it would be, what about things like hands drying out from over-washing? Seems like a credible con, where are the practical things?

[@natashawolf3524]

Not gonna lie. I thought the little creatures behind you were tampons at first XD

[@Golden-ek2ku]

Bacteria? You mean skin tickles. *Insert manly man meme*

[@joanaguadomedina3060]

This aged well

[@HaniaHeartHands]

0:42 why did the background look like blue tampons 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@StepBackHistory]

Cheers!

[@fluffyrat4440]

yeah but if you dont wash ur hands after going to the bathroom im not shaking ur hand

[@Destructocorps]

GriffinMM Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that brought the herpes count up to 100%.

[@SHA3DOW_]

This aged well..!!!

[@Cybernaut551]

All hail the mighty soap invented by our ancestors!

[@pats4779]

Enjoyed your video. New sub here

[@skybluskyblueify]

As we fight COVID-19 washing hands is one of the targets we need to have. Targeting our hands right now are a priority we need to focus on.

[@torugho]

(ಥ﹏ಥ) i need subtitles - i'm Brazilian and can't understand right your pronounce

[@drphu]

Tampons in the back drop!

[@Shawnecy]

TLDW: Yes.

[@Kingdomall]

I wash my hands once a day, and I'd say I'm decently healthy.

[@katherinerichardson2273]

avoid antibacterial when you can but yeah just don't over wash

[@Juiced2528]

No way! Don’t wash your hands, pick your nose and eat it and also chew your nails it will all keep you strong.... till it doesn’t 🤣

[@cuongnguyen5627]

Hello

[@aaron-n]

Who else is watching this while washing your hands.

[@SallySpillingTheTea.]

90% of comments Blue Tampons! 10% 2020 anyone?

[@michaelporter5105]

Those germs look like tampons

[@pnkflyd66]

Yes, you should.

[@britannic124]

EAT THAT DIRT!

[@sanderson9162]

The background looked like tampons