Hand washing . . . something we all do and feel that we do well. However, did you know that hand washing has a very important role in your health?
Sudsing up is an important step in protecting yourself from sickness. During a normal day, many of the surfaces we touch have all kinds of germs. All it takes is touching a surface with cold or flu germs, then rubbing your eyes or nose, or putting something in our mouth with unwashed hands, and those germs can get the best of you.
The steps to hand washing are simple:
- Wet Your Hands: Does not matter if the water is hot or cold.
- Lather Your Hands With Soap: Don’t forget that the soap needs to get between the fingers and the backs of your hands.
Do you wear rings? Pay attention to these areas that hide germs and lather these too. - Scrub: Too many people rush this step. You need to scrub for at least 20 seconds.
Remember the happy birthday song? This is a good song to hum or sing to yourself twice to make sure you have scrubbed for enough time. - Rinse: Clean hands with running water.
- Dry: Use a clean towel or air dry.
Make sure that you are washing your hands through the day:
- Before you prepare food or eat.
- Before and after caring for a patient (all health care providers) or a sick loved one.
- After using the toilet or changing a child’s diaper.
- After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose. The plan to sneeze into elbow may not be best because it is hard to clean. Some people cross arms and then forget to wash hands, making passing the germ more likely. It is ok to sneeze into your hands, just wash them after and stop the spread of illness.
- Anytime you may have touched a surface and you are going to touch your face.
Since the weather is cold and the air is dry, many people worry about cracked skin with frequent hand washing. It is still best to wash your hands! After washing, use a lotion or moisturizer to help reduce cracked skin.
Waterless sanitizer only helps with some germs and should not be the only hand cleansing if your hands are visibly soiled.
Remember . . . with proper hand washing you are protecting yourself and others from becoming ill.
For more information about hand washing you can go to www.cdc.gov/handwashing.
ATI Active Care is a walk-in clinic, located in Waukesha, WI, that provides immediate care for non-emergency acute conditions, physicals, health screenings, preventive health and wellness programs. For more information contact BobbieJo Paul at bobbiejopaul@activatehealthcare.com or call (262) 574-2711.