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Handwashing
is one of the most important means of preventing the spread of infection.
--US Centers
for Disease Control & Prevention
Handwashing--rubbing your
hands together with soap and water--reduces the spread of germs from one person to
the next. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, handwashing
is one of the most important means of preventing the spread of infection.
If you track when you wash your hands
you may find it is not as often as you think. A recent survey found that 94% of Americans
say that they always wash their hands after going to the bathroom but observations
in public restrooms show that only 68% of adults did so.
Why should you wash?
Germs are so small that you cannot see them. A few of them can cause illnesses
like diarrhea and colds as well as more serious, and life-threatening, diseases.
Washing your hands correctly, greatly
reduces the chances of spreading germs. Disease-causing germs can enter your body
when your unwashed hands touch your nose, mouth, and open wounds. Some of those germs
may have changed to protect themselves against an antibiotic, which is called antibiotic
resistance.
While your health care providers have
a professional responsibility to wash their hands, it is important that everyone
make handwashing a personal priority.
When should you wash?
Before you...
- Prepare or eat food
- Treat a cut or wound or tend to someone
who is sick
- Insert or remove contact lenses
After you...
- Use the bathroom
- Handle uncooked foods, particularly
raw meat, poultry or fish
- Change a diaper
- Blow your nose, cough or sneeze
- Play with or touch a pet, especially
reptiles and exotic animals
- Handle garbage
- Tend to someone who is sick or injured
How should you wash?
How you wash your hands is just as important as when you wash them, especially
when it comes to eliminating germs. Just rinsing them quickly is not enough. When
you wash your hands:
- Use soap and warm, running water
- Wash all surfaces thoroughly, including
wrists, palms, back of hands, fingers and under the fingernails
- Rub hands together for at least 10-15
seconds
- When drying, use a clean or disposable
towel if possible, and pat your skin rather than rubbing to avoid chapping and cracking
- Apply hand lotion after washing to
soothe your skin and help prevent drying
This health education material was reviewed
favorably by the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Association for
Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. We thank the American Society for Microbiology and Bayer Pharmaceuticals for the use of these
educational materials.
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