What can help prevent spreading illness while using a faucet?

Using a paper towel to turn off the faucet can significantly help prevent the spread of illness. After washing your hands, the faucet handle can harbor germs. By using a paper towel, you can create a barrier between your clean hands and the potentially contaminated faucet. This reduces the risk of transferring any bacteria or viruses from your hands back onto the faucet handle, which can then be picked up by the next person who uses it.

While drying hands thoroughly is important for overall hygiene, it does not directly address the transmission of germs from the faucet. Turning off the faucet with your hands directly after washing can lead to recontamination, and while washing hands more often is essential for preventing illness, it does not specifically target the issue of contaminated surfaces like the faucet.