A NEW study has revealed that a huge percentage people don't wash their hands after using the toilet, despite the being major health implications it poses.

In 2015, a survey asked 100,000 people about their hand washing habits and shockingly, 62 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women admitted they didn't wash their hands after using the loo.

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But, although it seems socially acceptable, that doesn't mean it is as it can be very detrimental to our health.

As Government health guidelines state, washing your hands properly after using the toilet is extremely important to prevent the spread of illness.

As germs can't be seen, but can be easily spread, it's important to make sure we rinse our hands after touching potentially contaminated surfaces.

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Dr Bob Adak, head of the gastrointestinal department at Public Health England, says: “No-one would wilfully want to touch or eat faeces but that is what millions of us are doing every day by not washing our hands”.

America’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention adds: “A single gram of human faeces - which is about the weight of a paper clip - can contain one trillion germs”.

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How to wash your hands properly:

Just in case you need some help, here’s the NHS’s handy step-by-step guide to hand washing:

1. Wet hands with water
2. Apply enough soap to cover all surfaces of hand
3. Rub hands palm to palm
4. Right palm over back of left hand with interlaced fingers and vice versa
5. Palm to palm with fingers interlaced
6. Back of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked
7. Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa
8. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa
9. Rinse hands with water
10. Dry hands thoroughly with a single use towel
11. Use towel to turn off tap
12. Your hands are now clean

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And are hand sanitisers just as good?

If you are unable to wash your hands with soap and water, claim that hand santisers are the "next best thing".

But you need to make sure you've purchased one that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol to be effective.