You've probably seen signs clearly posted in the restrooms of restaurants, schools and other public settings reminding employees to wash their hands before returning to work. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says handwashing is the best way to prevent illness and infection, and to keep from spreading germs to others. Hand hygiene can easily be practiced by regularly washing your hands with soap and water or by using alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which don't need water.
Considerations
Think for a moment about how many surfaces, objects and people your hands come into contact with in a typical day. The Mayo Clinic says your hands are constantly being contaminated by germs. You can expose yourself to bacteria and viruses when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. While it's unrealistic to think you can keep your hands sterile at all times, frequent washing can help keep the transmission of germs to a minimum.
Spread of Germs
Frequent handwashing protects not only your health, but it also can prevent infection and illness from spreading to family members and others with whom you come into contact. In hospitals and clinic settings, handwashing can literally become a life or death matter because it can stop deadly infections from being transmitted between patients and health care staff and vice versa.
Food Borne Illnesses
Outbreaks of food borne illnesses, such as salmonella, are caused by food handlers who have not washed or poorly washed their hands. The Rhode Island Department of Health says inadequate hand hygiene is responsible for 1 in 4 food borne illnesses.
Guidelines
Washing your hands after using the bathroom or before eating may be second nature, but there are other times you may not think of when handwashing is of equal importance. For instance, you should always wash your hands after coughing, sneezing, touching uncooked meat and poultry, and changing diapers. Also wash your hands before preparing meals, treating wounds, placing a contact lens in your eyes or touching someone who is ill or injured.
Technique
You may not give the process of handwashing much thought as you grab a bar of soap or dispense a few drops of liquid soap into your palms. There is a right way to ensure your hands are thoroughly cleansed. The Mayo Clinic says wet your hands with running water, apply liquid, bar (preferably antibacterial) or powder soap. Work up a good lather and scrub your hands as well as your individual fingers vigorously for no less than 20 seconds. You can prevent germs from immediately getting back onto your hands by shutting off the faucet with a towel.
Using Hand Sanitizers
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are a great substitute for soap and water as long as the product contains at least 60 percent alcohol. Make sure you use enough sanitizer to completely wet your hands. Massage your hands thoroughly for about 30 seconds or until they are dry.
Outlook
It takes only a few minutes out of your day to wash your hands. That's a small price to pay when you consider that you may avoid hours, days or even weeks of being laid up by an illness.
