Hand Cleansing

 

How to wash your hands

Below is the seven-step hand washing technique endorsed by the CDC and World Health Organization

Steps to washing your hands properly

Wet your hands with clean — preferably running — water. Apply enough soap to cover all surfaces of your hands and wrists. Lather and rub your hands together briskly and thoroughly. Make sure to scrub all surfaces of your hands, fingertips, fingernails, and wrists. Scrub your hands and wrists for at least 20 seconds. Rinse your hands and wrists under clean — preferably running — water. Dry your hands and wrists with a clean towel, or let them air-dry. Use a towel to turn off the faucet.

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The key to washing your hands is to make sure you thoroughly clean all surfaces and areas of your Does it matter what type of soap you use? Plain soap is just as good at disinfecting your hands as over-the-counter antibacterial soaps. In fact, research has found that antibacterial soaps aren’t any more effective at killing germs than regular, everyday soaps. In 2017, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Trusted Source banned the use of the antibacterial. The reasons cited by the FDA for the ban of these agents included:

So, if you happen to have older bottles of antibacterial soap stocked away, it’s best not to use them. Throw them out, and just use regular soap instead.

Also, there’s no evidence to suggest that the water temperature makes a difference. According to one study Trusted Source, washing your hands in warm water doesn’t seem to get rid of more germs .The bottom line is that it’s safe to use whatever water temperature is right for you, and use any regular liquid or bar soap you have on hand.

When to wash your hands

Washing your hands is particularly important when you’re in situations where you’re more likely to acquire or transmit germs. This includes: before, during, and after you prepare food before and after you: consume foods or drinks are exposed to someone with an infectious illness enter a hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home, or other healthcare setting clean and treat a cut, burn, or wound take medication, such as pills or eye drops use public transportation, especially if you touch railings and other surfaces touch your phone or other mobile device go to the grocery store after you: cough, sneeze, or blow your nose touch visibly dirty surfaces, or when there’s visible dirt on your hands handle money or receipts have touched a gas pump handle, ATM, elevator buttons, or pedestrian crossing buttons shake hands with others engage in sexual or intimate activity have used the bathroom change diapers or clean bodily waste off others touch or handle garbage touch animals, animal feed, or waste touch fertilizer handle pet food or treats

How to prevent dry or damaged skin Dry, irritated, raw skin from frequent handwashing can raise the risk of infections. Damage to your skin can change the skin flora. This, in turn, can make it easier for germs to live on your hands. To keep your skin healthy while maintaining good hand hygiene, skin experts suggest the following tips: Avoid hot water, and use a moisturizing soap. Wash with cool or lukewarm water. Hot water isn’t more effective than warm water, and it tends to be more drying. Opt for liquid (instead of bar) soaps that have a creamy consistency and include ingredients, such as glycerin. Use skin moisturizers. Look for skin creams, ointments, and balms that help keep water from leaving your skin. These include moisturizers with ingredients that are: occlusive, such as lanolin acid, triglycerides, mineral oil, or humectants, such as lactate, glycerin, or honey emollients, such as aloe vera. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain skin conditioners. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with humectants help ease skin dryness, while emollients replace some of the water stripped by alcohol.

What should you do if soap and water aren’t available?

Hand washing is often your first line of defense against infection. In order for hand washing to be most effective, you need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds or longer. Hand washing has always been an important defense against bacteria and viruses that can be transmitted to us through the things we touch. Now, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more critical to wash hands regularly. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the corona virus disease (COVID-19), can live on different surfaces for hours or even days Trusted Source.

Washing your hands properly can protect you from introducing the virus to your respiratory tract by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your face. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines Trusted Source are to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you have trouble keeping track, try humming the entire “Happy Birthday” song twice before rinsing .Rushing the process can result in cross contamination and increased sickness.

A 2018 report by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) found that up to 97 percent of us wash our hands incorrectly. Knowing when and how long to wash your hands makes a difference in how often you and your family get sick, especially while the new corona virus is active. In one workplace study, employees who were trained in hand washing and hand sanitation practices used 20 percent fewer Trusted Source sick days due to improved hygiene.

When should you wash your hands?

To protect yourself and others during the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDCT rusted Source recommends taking extra precautions and washing your hands in these situations: after being in a public place after touching a surface that may have been frequently touched by others (doorknobs, tables, handles, shopping carts, etc.) before touching your face (eyes, nose, and mouth in particular) In general, the CDC recommends you routinely wash your hands in the following situations: before, during, and after cooking, especially when handling chicken, beef, pork, eggs, fish, or seafood after changing a child’s diaper or helping them with toilet using the bathroom after caring for your pet, including feeding, walking, and after sneezing, blowing your nose, or coughing before and after administering first aid, including treating your own cut or wound before and after eating after handling garbage, recycling, and taking out the trash

It’s also wise to wash your hands and change your clothes after you get home from being out in public, and to wash your hands frequently during the workday. According to the CDC, the average office worker’s desk is covered in more germs than a bathroom toilet seat. You should also make sure to wash up after you’ve shaken hands at a social or work function, as hand-to-hand contact is a common way germs spread. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced Trusted Source recalls of several hand sanitizers due to the potential presence of methanol.

Methanol Trusted Source is a toxic alcohol that can have adverse effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or headache, when a significant amount is used on the skin. More serious effects, such as blindness, seizures, or damage to the nervous system, can occur if methanol is ingested. Drinking hand sanitizer containing methanol, either accidentally or purposely, can be fatal. See here for more information on how to spot safe hand sanitizers.

If you purchased any hand sanitizer containing methanol, you should stop using it immediately. Return it to the store where you purchased it, if possible. If you experienced any adverse effects from using it, you should call your healthcare provider. If your symptoms are life threatening, call emergency medical services immediately. When hand washing isn’t feasible or your hands aren’t visibly soiled, disinfecting your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be a viable option. Most alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain ethanol, or a mixture of these agents. The most effective Trusted Source antimicrobial activity comes from alcohol solutions with: Alcohol-based hand sanitizers quickly and effectively destroy many disease-causing agents, including:

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and community leaders worldwide have called for rigorous and collective efforts to improve public hygiene practices such as hand washing. Although washing your hands with plain soap and clean, running water is the preferred method for hand hygiene, using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol can also be an effective option.

Good hand hygiene isn’t a measure to be used only during pandemics and other disease outbreaks. It’s a time-tested intervention that needs to be practiced consistently and mindfully to have the greatest effect on individual, community, and global health. Last medically reviewed on May 11, 2020