Regardless of their opinions, it turns out, all four women were wrong as to why women have more bacteria. It has very little to do with work, and everything to do with skin conditions, researchers believe.

Noah Fierer, lead researcher and assistant professor in Colorado’s department of ecology and evolutionary biology, suggested the reason may have to do with the acidity of the skin. Rob Knight, biochemist and co-author said men generally have more acidic skin than women.

Other possibilities for the variation are gender difference in sweat and oil gland production, frequency of moisturizer and cosmetic application, hormone production and skin thickness.

Women may also have more bacteria living under their skin, which cannot be removed by standard hand washing.

Kate Kelly is a self-confessed “germaphobe,” and takes extra precautions during the flu season.

“This time of year, everyone is bound to have picked up some germs somewhere,” said Kelly. “I’ve become somewhat of a germaphobe, to the point of washing my hands countless times every day. The first thing when I get home is wash my hands. I use the wipes for the handrails on the grocery carts at Reasor’s and am very glad they have them available. I carry my own pen and use it, and not pens that are just on a counter.”

After discovering they may have dirtier hands than once thought, local respondents offered tips on how they keep their hands, ahem, clean.

“My family does have a well-known rule in our house, and the kids do ti without even being told nowadays, because I have drilled it into them for years,” said Laperche. “After we return home from a grocery shopping run, or just any retail shopping trip, before we unload the groceries, we go inside and wash our hands.”

Laperche had a colorful way of explaining why this was an important task.

“[I tell them] ‘Remember that grocery cart we used? Think about all those people you saw in Wal-Mart, and all of the things they’ve touched,” said Laperche. “[They’ve] gone to the bathroom, and maybe didn’t wash their hands, changed diapers and probably didn’t wash their hands, picked their nose, and who knows what else! They all agreed with a loud, ‘eww!’ So we always wash our hands. That’s our one especially obsessive/compulsive tradition.”

Similarly, Morgan is a diligent hand-washer.

“I have anti-bacterial hand wash in my home to use at every sink,” she said. “I always carry a purse-size anti-bacterial hand gel with me in a scent that goes with the season. I always use it when I’m at any event where I shake hands with people, such as church and especially this time of year during flu season. To me, it helps bring peace of mind.”