While many people believe coughs and sneezes are the main ways that illnesses are spread, contaminated hands are more likely to be the culprit. With this in mind, the often overlooked practice of hand washing is an excellent way to control the spread of illness. Hand washing is effective at reducing the risk of infection from a variety of common pathogens and should be a regular practice for adults and children alike.
Benefits
Hand washing will keep your hands clean and neat in appearance. It also helps keep contaminants from entering the body. This includes germs that cause food-borne illnesses, including salmonella and E. coli, and other illnesses, such as colds and influenza. Hand washing can also help to limit the spread of infection in families and social situations where someone is already sick.
Prevention
Always wash your hands before eating and before and after touching food, particularly raw meats. Hands should also be washed before and after treating a sick or injured person, particularly those with open wounds or contagious illnesses. Wash your hands after doing anything where potential contamination could occur, such as changing a dirty diaper, using the toilet, touching animals or items that come in contact with them, handling garbage or other contaminated items, and sneezing or coughing. It's also a good idea to wash your hands before handling contact lenses.
Considerations
Any type of soap product that is safe for hands will kill most germs and provide good cleansing---antibacterial soaps are no more effective in their antiseptic properties. In fact, the use of antibacterial soaps may be contributing to the development of germs that are resistant to antibacterial soaps, making them harder to manage.
Procedure
To wash your hands, wet them with clean, running and, preferably, warm water. Apply a soap product---liquid, bar or powder---to your hands and work it into a good lather. Rub the soap thoroughly over both hands, including the wrists, the back of the hands, between the fingers and under the fingernails for at least 20 seconds. Rinse your hands well. Dry them with either an air dryer or a clean disposable towel. Use the towel to turn off the water faucet to prevent recontaminating your hands.
Alternatives
Liquid, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, with at least 60 percent alcohol, are good for washing your hands without water. They should be used to clean the hand of germs, but not to remove dirt. Apply the sanitizer to the palm of your hand and spread it over your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds. Wipe the excess off with a clean disposable towel or allow your hands to air dry. Though not as effective as soap and water or hand sanitizers, antiseptic wipes can also help to keep hands clean.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Wash Your Hands
- Nemours Foundation: Why Is Hand Washing So Important?
- Mayo Clinic: Hand Washing Dos and Don'ts
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Food-Borne Illness
- University of Huddersfield: Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases, but Not as Much as Dirty Hands
