A person's hands are the No. 1 means of spreading illness-borne viruses. Hands that look clean give the illusion that there are no bacteria present, but this may not be true. Coughing, sneezing and touching unsanitary objects transfer germs to a person's hand. These germs lie in wait for the person to touch their mouth, nose, eyes or an open sore, so they can invade the body. A hand sanitizer containing between 60 percent and 95 percent alcohol can help to kill the germs before they can attack your system.
Step 1
Wet hands with warm, running water.
Step 2
Add soap. The soap aids in breaking down the dirt molecules.
Step 3
Rub hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Wash all surfaces of the hand. Use a nailbrush to get under the fingernails. The friction action of rubbing the hands together helps to break the dirt free from the skin.
Step 4
Rinse, keeping the fingers pointing down. The rinsing washes away the particles of dirt that have been brought to the surface during the cleaning process. Keeping the fingers pointing down causes the dirt to move into a single direction away from the hands.
Step 5
Dry the hands vigorously with a clean towel. This final dry friction removes the remainder of the dirt particles that the previous steps may have missed.
Step 6
Apply enough hand sanitizer to thoroughly cover the hands.
Step 7
Rub the sanitizer into the hands until the hands are dry.
Tips and Warnings
- Hand sanitizer can kill germs without the help of soap and water. Although, the santizer will not be able to get under some of the hidden areas that germs hide, it can still be very effective. Just apply enough hand sanitizer to thoroughly cover the hands, and rub the sanitizer into the hands until the hands are dry. When a washing area is not available, this can be an adequate substitute.
Things You'll Need
- Nailbrush
- Hand sanitizer with 60 percent to 95 percent alcohol
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