Food Network’s Alton Brown demonstrates why hand-washing is more effective than sanitizer

The coronavirus pandemic has led to at least one good thing for Food Network star Alton Brown — he's finally been able to create a video all about hand-washing.

The metro-Atlanta resident said as much in a recent video uploaded to his YouTube channel where he explained and demonstrated why the action is the effective for removing bacteria and viruses.

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“I’ve been wanting to do a hand-washing video for 20 years and everybody was like, ‘Oh, no! Do cheese pulls!’” he said.

Brown added that what “might just save us is the yardstick of civilization: soap. Not sanitizer, not the stuff you’ve been fighting over in drug store parking lots.”

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Essentially, soap's substances remove the coating of viruses — like the coronavirus. It leaves the virus "mostly dead," Brown explained. Meanwhile, the University of Georgia alum and commencement speaker said hand sanitizer can kill viruses, but they can't physically remove or access all of them.

Then, Brown demonstrated how he washes his hands, relying on his own bar of soap he carries with him when he travels. He also brings his own bag of paper towels, as he's not a fan of hot-air hand dryers. Brown's hand-washing technique relies on a five count as he rubs his hands together, scrubbing the backs, palms and finger nails. At 45 seconds, it's more than double the recommended length the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said to wash hands.

Brown said on Facebook that the video is his take on the World Health Organization's #SafeHands challenge, which promotes how hand-washing and using hand sanitizer can protect from the coronavirus.