Washing your hands is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of bacteria, parasites and viruses, including the flu, the common cold and some food-borne illnesses. Hand washing the right way is important for everyone, but especially important for those in jobs where there's a high risk of disease, such as schools and hospitals.
Disease Prevention
Washing your hands thoroughly kills most of the germs you come across on a daily basis. You pick up germs every time you touch something that other people have touched, such as a light switch, a door handle or the keyboard of a public computer. These surfaces are contaminated with a host of viruses and bacteria including salmonella, E. coli and rotavirus.
Even if you keep your home clean, it is contaminated with germs, as well. It is important to wash your hands after using the bathroom, before and after eating and after handling animals or changing diapers.
Statistics
The Centers for Disease Control says that infectious diseases cost the United States $120 billion per year, due in part to schoolteacher absence. The Journal of General Psychiatry reported that teachers miss an average 5.3 days a year because of illness.
Infectious diseases have much more serious consequences, however, not only for teachers, but for the rest of the population, as well. Diseases such as influenza and pneumonia kill more than 160,000 Americans every year, according to a CDC study.
Hand washing can lower the numbers. School children who wash their hands at least four times a day have half as many absences because of gastrointestinal illnesses as the rest of the school population.
Duration and Method
Sticking your hands under running water is not enough to kill viruses and bacteria. Washing your hands correctly maximizes the effectiveness of germ-killing soap.
Wet hands with warm water and apply soap. Lather and rub into hands for at least 20 seconds, making sure to clean fingertips, fingernails and cuticles, as well as the palms, wrists and backs of hands. Rinse thoroughly. Dry with a paper towel or hand dryer.
To avoid recontaminating your hands in a public bathroom, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door, if possible.
Kids and Hand Washing Safety
The American Journal of Infection Control found that fewer than 60 percent of middle and high school students washed their hands after a trip to the bathroom and that of that number, only 33 percent of girls and 8 percent of boys washed with soap. Studies such as this illustrate the importance of teaching proper hand washing techniques in school.
Preschool and elementary school teachers should schedule times throughout the day for students to wash their hands. To help children wash for 20 seconds, teachers can tell them to count to 20 Mississippis or sing Happy Birthday twice. Illustrated posters available through most state health departments provide a visual step-by-step reminder.
Waterless Hand Sanitizers
The use of hand sanitizers combined with proper hand washing greatly reduces the spread of germs. Hand sanitizers are good for use in hospitals and classrooms, where washing hands after every contact may not be practical.
But hand sanitizers should not be used as a substitute for regular hand washing. Hand sanitizers kill most germs, but they do not completely remove dirt and blood. Also, frequent use may dry out the hands, causing tiny cracks that let in germs.
