Using the kitchen sink for hand washing is unhygienic, a health inspector has said.New York Times writer Henry Alford revealed the various violations that Beth Torin, an inspector with the New York City health department, had uncovered when she came to examine his kitchen for an article.Among the points Ms Torin picked up on - including the fridge being too warm and dish towels being in an unsanitary state - she criticised Mr Alfords use of the kitchen sink as a place for washing hands.Youre not allowed to wash your hands in the kitchen sink. I coughed when I came in the door. Who knows where my hands have been? he quoted her as saying.As the writer explained, such germs could be transported to the same sink I use to rinse lettuce - hence the violation.Meanwhile, Kelly Bothum of delawareonline.com recently noted that while homeowners focus on filling the dishwasher or keeping counters clean, they can ignore areas of contamination around the sink itself.