I see this in various shows and movies, and it always leaves me wondering if it’s actually gonna do them any good in not getting tracked down.
In: 297
It depends on the surface and what people use, but for what you see in movies where they pull out a cloth and wipe the surface once, probably not.
Fingerprints are the pattern of the skin on your fingers, and that pattern is left behind in the form of oil when you touch them. A quick wipe will smear the fingerprints it contacts, but a quick wipe is by definition quick. It’s not thorough, it doesn’t clean every last part of the door handle or gun, and you’d be surprised how much you actually touch on even the most mundane objects. A more thorough cleaning will do a better job, but that requires time and ideally chemicals, and if you have enough forethought to be carrying around detergent to wipe off prints, you probably have enough forethought to just wear gloves instead.
On porous surfaces like paper or a leather steering wheel, a quick wipe is even less useful because some of the oil will penetrate into the surface and a wipe won’t be able to clean it.
Latest Answers