A childhood belief about skin

When I was little, grown-ups always said to wash your hands with hot water, not cold, because it kills the germs better. So I imagined little red circles with arms, legs, and a face as the germs. I imagined that when you wash with cold water, it just drips into your hands and the germs shiver, but don't go away. But when you wash with hot, a big wave goes inside your hands and the germs scream and run away.