Hand Hygiene
Posted on: July 29, 2015Categories: LiveWell 24/7
Handwashing is essentially a vaccine because you can reduce the spread of diarrheal and respiratory illnesses by by up to 50% just by routinely washing your hands. Seems pretty simple right?
Well, maybe not to everyone. In fact, recent studies have shown that 62% of men and 40% of women don’t wash their hands after the bathroom. But there are more times you should be washing your hands then after you have visited the loo. You should also wash your hands before eating or handling food, after blowing your nose/coughing/sneezing, after touching animals or their waste, after handling rubbish, after changing a diaper, before and after touching a sick/injured person, and before and after visiting a hospital ward.
It may seem like you will be washing your hands constantly, but the 5 step process only takes about a minute, and one minute of your time is worth it when it comes to preventing illness. Here is a review of the steps if you need a refresher:
- Wet your hands with clean running water, turn off the tap and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them with soap making sure to not miss the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse your hands well under clean running water.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dry them.
If soap and cleaning running water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Keep your hands clean and germ free!
Source: CDC “When & How“, CDC “Fast Facts”, Daily Mail, NHS Scottland
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