You tell children to wash hands, and most people know they should wash at certain times, but many do not wash properly or as frequently as they should. The Minnesota Department of Health conducted three studies showing that only 30 percent to 75 percent of people washed their hands after using the restroom. Knowing the reasoning behind hand washing, as well as the proper method, may increase the frequency of hand washing and decrease the spread of illness.
When
The Mayo Clinic advises hand washing before and after routine activities, such as using the restroom and preparing food, to limit the transfer of bacteria and other germs. You should always wash your hands before preparing food, eating, treating injuries or administering medicine, touching an ill or injured person and when putting in or taking out contact lenses. You should wash your hands after you prepare food, use the toilet or change a diaper, touch an animal or animal toys or waste, treat wounds, touch an ill or injured person, handle garbage or other soiled material, after blowing your nose or coughing or sneezing into your hands.
Method
To properly wash your hands using soap and water, wet your hands with warm running water and lather with soap. Scrub all parts of your hands, including your fingernails and the back of your hands, and continue to rub for 20 seconds. Rinse well with running water and use a paper towel to dry your hands or allow them to air dry. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends using the paper towel to turn off the faucet to avoid contamination from the surface of the faucet handle.
Alternative Method
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers effectively kill germs, according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. If you do not have soap and water available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer may work as a substitute. To properly use hand sanitizer, put approximately 1 tsp. onto your palm and rub all it over both hands, including fingernails and the backs of your hands. Then allow it to dry.
Benefits
Hand washing protects you and others from the spread of infectious disease. Frequent washing can prevent colds, the flu, diarrhea, Hepatitis A and severe acute respiratory syndrome, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Often, these illnesses result from foods contaminated during preparation because of poorly washed hands. Direct or indirect physical contact with someone's hands, such as when shaking hands or touching a doorknob, can transmit illness if you touch your mouth or nose. Hand washing reduces the spread of illness-causing germs after such contact.
Warning
To prevent the spread of germs and bacteria, you must adopt the proper hand washing technique. Improper techniques include using a single cloth to wash a group of children's hands. They also include using a standing bowl of water to rinse hands or a common towel to dry hands. To prevent contamination, do not use reusable sponges and cloths unless you wash them regularly and add chlorine bleach to the wash water.
