Hand Washing Hygiene – Preventing The Spread Of Disease

Why Is Hand Washing So Important?


The simplest thing people can do to protect themselves from the spread of disease is to wash their hands frequently. Washing your hands denies diseases an easy entry point into your body.

If you do not wash your hands frequently, you pick up germs from other sources and infect yourself when you touch your eyes, your nose, or your mouth. One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with various viruses that cause colds.

You can also spread germs directly to others or onto surfaces that other people touch and before you know it, everybody around you are getting sick. The important thing to remember is that, in addition to colds, serious diseases like infectious diarrhea and meningitis can easily be prevented if people make a habit of washing their hands.

When to clean (at a minimum):


  • After using the restroom
  • Before eating or snacking
  • After eating or snacking
  • Between handling raw, cooked or ready-to-eat food
  • After handling anything that could potentially transfer germs
  • After using a tissue or handkerchief
  • After physical contact with other people
  • Before and after attending to sick children or other family members.
  • After physical contact with pets
  • After smoking

*(Note: Maintain your cultural awareness and ensure that no cultural insult is conveyed when you do this.)

How to clean (techniques):


  • Remove any jewelry.
  • Wet your hands thoroughly with clean, running water, leaving water running.
  • Apply soap and lather well for a minimum of 20 to 25 seconds.
  • Rub hands palm to palm.
  • Rub back of each hand with the palm of other the hand with fingers interlaced.
  • Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced.
  • Rub with backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.
  • Rub each thumb clasped in opposite hand using rotational movement.
  • Rub tips of fingers in opposite palm in circular motion.
  • Rub each wrist with opposite hand.
  • If dirt is still present, apply more water and soap.
  • Rinse hands with water.
  • Dry hands thoroughly with a clean paper towel.
  • use the paper towel to turn water off faucet.

* Proper hand washing should take between 40 – 60 seconds.

* Hand washing is the single most important individual protective measure a person can take to prevent the spread of disease.

Please Leave All Comments in the Comment Box Below

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author: HBS & DwJ

4 thoughts on “Hand Washing Hygiene – Preventing The Spread Of Disease

  1. This is an article that is quite timely with the current pandemic of COVID-19. Hand-washing hygiene is essential to help prevent the spread of the virus, but most people are not aware of the proper steps to take while washing their hands and may have a false sense of security that can be dangerous.

    You have laid out the reasons we all need to be concerned and also the steps to make sure that we are doing a good job of hand-washing. This is useful and hopefully, many people will see this and pay attention. It is not a hard thing to do and once you get in the habit of washing your hands properly, the hygiene levels will go way up and help prevent infections or sickness.

    1. Thank you very much for your reading and commenting on this article. I agree wholeheartedly with what you have stated in your comment.

      Thank you again for your time.

  2. It doesn’t matter how often we listen to the instructions nowadays, it’s always better to get some real good information about Hand Washing Hygiene.

    How important it is to learn to do it right, the consequences can be bad during these times, as I was reading your article, I noticed something nobody is saying about washing the hands, remove all rings.

    But, rings can also keep some bag bugs, so do we need to wash them before we wash our hands, what would you recommend.

    Is it OK to keep using rings during these times?

    1. Thank you very much for reading and commenting. It seems to to me that you have answered your own question, however, I also agree that rings should be clean and free of bacteria. 

      As far as the use of rings during these times of COVID-19 Pandemic, it is totally up to each individual what they do, I would recommend the removal of all rings during this period of self quarantine. 

      Why continue to put yourself at risk for the wearing of rings?

      Thank you again for reading, commenting, and bringing up such a relevant question about this article.

      Blessings To You My Friend!

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