Before washing your hands germs on the hands show up as white underneath a UV light (Photo: Cream Magazine)

QUICK RINSE AND SHAKE: Research suggests that up to a quarter of us only briefly rinse our hands, but as this picture shows, that is not enough. The rinse and shake doesn't achieve much; after running your hands under the tap for three seconds, hands show up as glowing white under the camera — suggesting most of the germs have been left there. (Photo: Cream Magazine)

SIX-SECOND WASH — NO SOAP: Six seconds is the average length of time people spend washing their hands. But this is not long enough to remove germs effectively — there is still a high concentration on the backs, around the wedding ring and under the fingernails. Washing the hands for slightly longer has reduced the white areas compared with rinse and shake — no doubt because this time the hands have been dried with a towel. And damp hands transfer germs much more easily so drying them is key. (Photo: Cream Magazine)

SIX-SECOND WASH WITH SOAP: The most important part of hand washing is using soap — it's sticky, so you have to wash it off. Soap doesn't kill bacteria, it gets rid of them: one end of the soap molecule attaches to water while the other end attaches to dirt (which is where the germs will be). Lathering with soap also enhances the rubbing action. Hygiene expert Lisa Ackerley said: 'Scrub the fingertips against your palms to clean under the nails'. (Photo: Cream Magazine)

20 SECONDS WITH SOAP: Around 20 seconds is roughly how long you should wash for, according to the NHS. As you can see from the picture, there are far fewer white areas than with the typical six-second wash. The only white areas are the crescents around the cuticles, a patch on the side of the thumb and a streak on the top of the little finger. 'You need that time to clean all the little bits of your hands,' said hygiene expert Lisa Ackerley. (Photo: Cream Magazine)