“There has been a slight improvement in handwashing during COVID-19, but now Australians appear to be falling back into old habits.”

The survey compiled responses from 1229 Australians aged 18 and over across different economic groups.

They found that women were more likely than men to wash their hands after going to the toilet; 83 percent of women and 80 percent of men said they always wash their hands.

Men were much less likely than women to wash their hands before handling food; 55 percent of men and 62 percent of women reported that they constantly wash their hands before touching food.

While people under 34 recorded the worst hygiene habits, older Australians were the cleanest; 86 percent of older adults surveyed claimed to always wash after using the toilet, compared to 69 percent of those under 34.

While the statistics are alarming, the good news is that the Food Safety Information Council can point us in the right direction. Their advice is to always wash and dry your hands:

• Before handling, preparing and eating food.

• After handling raw meat, fish, seafood, shelled eggs or poultry.

• Taking care of children’s (or others’) toilet and changing their diapers after using the toilet.

• After blowing your nose.

• After handling a pet or cleaning cat litter trays.

• After gardening.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION This article is of a general nature and is for your information only as it does not take into account your personal health needs or existing medical conditions. This means it is not personalized health advice and should not be relied upon as such. Before making any health-related decisions, you should decide whether the information is appropriate for your situation and seek professional medical advice.