Eli5 why do people say to wash dishes or your hands in warm water when cold slows down bacteria growth?

Question

Eli5 why do people say to wash dishes or your hands in warm water when cold slows down bacteria growth?

In: 722

Answer 1

Studies have shown that there’s no advantage to using warm water over cold when washing your hands. No temperature that’s going to be safe for your hands actually makes a difference to the bacteria; the soap does the heavy lifting.

For dishes, warm water is recommended because it’s more effective at removing grease and loosening stuck food than cold water. But it’s still not about killing bacteria; that’s what the soap is for.