Handwashing

Why is handwashing so important? Handwashing is the simplest and yet MOST important thing that you can do to reduce the spread of disease and to keep you from getting sick. When hands are washed using soap, warm running water and rubbing the surfaces of your hands together vigorously, the dirt, oils, and germs are loosened and removed from the surface of your skin.

What happens if you do not wash hands frequently?

Frequent handwashing removes germs that may have been picked up from other people, from contaminated surfaces, or from animals and animal waste. If contaminated hands are not thoroughly washed, these germs can infect you when you touch your eyes, nose, mouth or open sores. In turn, your unwashed hands can spread germs directly to other people or to the surfaces that they touch.

Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. It is best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water for 20 seconds. However, if soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based product to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin and are fast acting.

When should you wash your hands?

Germs are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Therefore, frequent and thorough handwashing is strongly recommended:

• Whenever hands are visibly dirty
• Before preparing or eating food
• After going to the bathroom
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom
• Before and after tending to someone who is sick
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After handling an animal or animal waste
• After handling garbage
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
  

What is the correct way to wash your hands?

• Wet hands with warm water and apply liquid or clean bar soap. If bar soap is used, the soap should be placed on a rack, allowing it to drain between uses.
• Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend!
• Rinse hands well under running water
• Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet

Remember: If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based gel to clean hands.

When using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

• Apply product to the palm of one hand
• Rub hands together
• Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.
  

Click here for a PDF poster showing the proper way to wash your hands.