Hand washing plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of disease. Germs are everywhere, and they get on your hands when you touch people, objects or even your own body. The germs you pick up throughout the day can enter your body through your eyes, nose or mouth and make you sick, and you can also spread them around and infect others. Hand washing is an effective way to eliminate germs.
Significance
Dirty hands can spread many diseases. Some illnesses, such as hepatitis A, enterovirus and a variety of others, are spread through the fecal-oral route. Even an extremely small amount of fecal material left on the hands can spread these diseases, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Respiratory secretions, which may get on your hands after you cough or sneeze, can also spread illnesses such as strep, colds and flu. Other moist secretions that may end up on hands, such as urine and saliva, can also spread disease-causing microorganisms.
Proper Method
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers specific guidelines for proper hand washing. You should wet your hands with clean, preferably warm, water, then apply soap. Rub your hands together, lathering and scrubbing all surfaces for 20 seconds. Rinse your hands well with clean running water and dry them on a paper towel or with an air dryer. The CDC also recommends that you use your paper towel to turn off the faucet to avoid recontaminating your hands.
Frequency
With all of the germs in the world, it is unrealistic to expect your hands to be completely clean. However, you should always wash your hands before and after you eat, prepare food, tend to a sick person or touch a wound, according to the CDC. Always wash your hands after you go to the bathroom, change a diaper or help a child in the bathroom to avoid spreading germs. Properly wash your hands after you blow your nose, cough or sneeze, and be sure to wash up after handling or cleaning up after animals or taking out trash.
Alternatives
When soap and water are not available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to clean your hands. For hand sanitizers to be effective, you must rub the product all over your hands and fingers and under fingernails. Hand sanitizers are good at killing germs if your hands are not visibly dirty. If they are dirty, use the sanitizer and wash with soap and water as soon as possible, recommends the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Considerations
Do not rinse your hands in standing water, and do not use a wet cloth to wash the hands of more than one person. If you use sponges, washcloths or towels, wash them regularly with chlorine bleach, and opt for disposable towels in child care or food preparation settings. When choosing soap, avoid antibacterial products. These are no better at killing germs, according to the Mayo Clinic, and they may help bacteria develop resistance to the products used to kill them.
