Eli5 why do people say to wash dishes or your hands in warm water when cold slows down bacteria growth?
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You don’t use hot water to kill bacteria when you wash your hands. You’d have to use water so hot (>155F) and keep it there for at least 15 seconds to kill 99.5% of the bacteria present. That would definitely burn your hangs very badly. It’s the SOAP that reduces the surface tension on your hands so dirt and excess bacteria slide off your hands and get rinsed down the drain. Even after washing, you will still have some bacteria left. In fact you’re covered inside and out with bacteria all the time. Hand washing minimizes passing or infecting yourself.
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