The revolting toilet habit 1 in 5 Aussies admit to

A photo of a caucasian woman washing her hands with soap under a silver tap.
Do you wash your hands every time you use the bathroom? Photo: Getty Images.

Washing and drying your hands after using the bathroom might seem like a simple, non-negotiable everyday task but, as it turns out, it’s something that an alarming amount of us skip over entirely.

A whopping 21 per cent - or one in five - Aussies believe that they don’t need to wash their hands every time they go to the loo according to research from Dyson and YouGov.

Er, why, you ask? Well,16 per cent of the 1,000 participants in the survey said they didn’t think that their hands got dirty every time they visited the toilet.

A photo of a man's feet and legs while sitting on the toilet.
More men than women report seeing their fellow bathroom users leave without washing or drying their hands. Photo: Getty Images.

It appears we have the same opinion when it comes to drying our hands after giving them a clean, with a quarter of those surveyed saying that they don't need to dry them post-wash.

And even if they do get under them under the tap, one-third of Aussies end up wiping their wet hands on their clothes as there was no drying option - such as paper towels or a hand-dryer - available.

If you’re guilty of any of the above, you might want to clean up your act as your dirty deeds aren’t going unchecked according to the research, which comes in line with launch of the new Dyson Airblade 9kJ hand dryer.

Just under 90 per cent of Aussies said they’d witnessed their fellow public bathroom users bypass basic hygiene practices, with

More men (74 per cent) than women (68 per cent) revealed that they have seen someone leave a public loo without washing their hands, with those in their 60s and 70s on high alert for bad bathroom etiquette.

Indeed, 92 per cent of Baby Boomers reported seeing someone exit a public bathroom without washing or drying their hands, compared with a near-equal number of Millennials (86 per cent) and Gen X (87 per cent).

How to wash your hands properly

You should wash regularly your hands with soap and water for about as long as it takes you to sing “Happy Birthday” twice, according to WHO.

You can follow their 11-step guide below.

It’s ok to use an alcohol-based hand rub if you don’t have immediate access to soap and water.

How to wash your hands, according to WHO. Photo: WHO.
How to wash your hands, according to WHO. Photo: WHO.

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.