According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proper handwashing is the single best way to prevent communicable illnesses and infections. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services notes that hepatitis A, shigellosis, influenza, step throat, the common cold and the Epstein-Barr virus are just a few diseases that can be halted in transmission through the handwashing process.
Count It Out
Simply rinsing hands with soap and water isn't enough to stop the spread of germs. The CDC recommends lathering hands with soap and water for a full 15 to 20 seconds, or about the length of time that it takes to sing two rounds of "Happy Birthday."
Be Thorough
Work soap into a thorough lather when washing hands. Rinse hands first to get them wet, and spend some time spreading the soap around before washing it off. Make sure to soap wrists, palms, the back of the hands, the spaces between fingers and just under the surface of fingernails. Get rid of all visible dirt, but scrub patches of skin that don't look dirty as well.
Wash Often
Don't limit washing your hands to bathroom visits and before and after meals. According to KidsHealth.org, people should always wash their hands after coughing, blowing their noses, touching any animals, participating in outdoor activities or visiting a sick person. Even if hands look clean, they may not be, so it's helpful to get into the habit of washing them often.
Drying
Washing hands frequently may be a healthy habit, but it also has the tendency to cause chapped skin or patches of redness. To avoid hurting hands, dry them with care. KidsHealth.org suggests patting hands dry rather than rubbing them with a towel and using a moisturizer or lotion after drying so that hands don't crack or hurt. To avoid spreading germs through drying, launder towels often, don't share towels among many people and always use an air dryer if it's available.
Sanitize
Sometimes, running water and soap aren't available when hands need to be washed. For those occasions, it's a wise idea to carry a small bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Squeeze about 1 teaspoon of the sanitizer into hands, as the Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommends, and then rub the sanitizer completely into all parts of each hand, including the palms, fingernails and spaces between fingers. Wait until the sanitizer dries, and wash hands with soap and water as soon as the opportunity arises.
