Would you take five minutes out of your day to learn an easy way to stop the transmission of colds, viruses, and infections? Read on! It is a fact. We generally go through the day without paying due attention to the way that we wash our hands. Most people don't wash their hands nearly as often as they should. Statistics prove that those who don't wash their hands properly suffer more sick days at work. Research supports the fact that practicing proper hygiene reduces the amount of colds, viruses, and infections that one catches. We go through the day touching all sorts of things in the environment that were touched by others during the day. This makes it way too easy to pick up another's germs left on objects in the environment. Think about it for a second. How many times a day do you touch your eyes, mouth, or nose? This is the way that most germs are transmitted. In this article we look at the proper way to wash the hands or to use hand sanitizers when water is not available. . Washing hands is a skill that most of us were taught at a young age, but most of us fail to wash the hands long enough and properly.
When To Wash Hands
First of all it is very important to wash hands after the following activities.
Wash hands before and after eating
Wash hands before and after using the bathroom
Wash hands after sneezing and coughing
Wash hands before and after coming in contact with a sick person
Wash hands after playing with the children
Wash hands after sports or exercising
Wash hands after handling trash or waste
Wash hands after cleaning a cut or wound
Proper Hand Washing Techniques
Of course, it is perfectly safe to use a hand sanitizer in an emergency but soap and water should be the preferred choice because it kills more germs. First turn on the faucet and place hands under warm or cold running water to get them wet. Apply the soap to your hands. Lather up the hands thoroughly. Rub the soap under the nails and between fingers. Rub the palms and back of the hands with soapy lather. Keep rubbing the hands for at least 20 seconds. Rinse off all the lather after 20 seconds. Dry your hands with a clean paper towel. Turn off the faucet with a paper towel.
If soap and water is not available then it is best to use an alcohol based hand sanitizer that is at minimum 60 percent alcohol.. Wet the hands. Apply the hand sanitize in the palm of the hands. Start rubbing the hands together for about 20 seconds or until hands are dry. Note: According to the CDC, hand sanitizes are not very effective when hands are very dirty. Soap and water is best for hands that are very dirty.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention