BuzzFeed Food talked to a USDA representative, a germ expert and a prominent NYC chef to determine whether raw chicken needs washed before cooking, and the general consensus is no:
USDA spokesperson Marianne H. Gravely said the department "falls squarely in the 'don’t wash your chicken' camp."
Germ expert and associate professor of environmental health at the University of Arizona Kelly Reynolds also advised against it: "Washing chicken does not remove any pathogens."
And a chef from NYC's Le Coq Rico doesn't recommend washing chicken.
TL;DR: stop washing raw chicken.
Source: BuzzFeed Food; photo: Getty Images