How Does Hand Washing Kill Germs?

Physically Removes Germs

Good hand washing helps everyone avoid illness when done properly. Germs accumulate on the surface of your hands during the day. You encounter germs while toileting, touching people, money, pets, and any other surfaces not recently disinfected. After contact, you may rub your eyes, mouth, and nose, which introduces the germs to your system. When you touch other surfaces, the germs spread as soon as someone else touches the surface. If you wash your hands after each of these encounters by scrubbing them with soap and then running water over them, you remove the germs from your hands so they cannot be spread to others.

Use Soap

The second leading cause of death in children is diarrhea. Proper hand washing can cut that number almost in half. Fats, oils and proteins offer safe havens to germs, and water alone is unable to break down these substances. Soap or detergent is necessary to remove microorganisms from the skin. The most critical times to wash hands with soap to remove germs include after defecating, after diaper changing, before feeding or eating, before and after handling any kind of raw meat. First, wet your hands with warm water. Use soap and work it into lather for 20 seconds, rubbing your entire hands including your wrists, under your fingernails, and between your fingers. Rinse with running warm water to remove all of the soap. Use a clean towel to dry your hands and to turn off the faucet. (You do not want to get germs back onto your hands by touching a contaminated faucet.)

Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers

When you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to wash your hands, you do not need to rinse them with water. These alcohol-based hand sanitizers actually kill germs, bacteria, and viruses on contact instead of just washing them down the drain. To use one, apply less than a teaspoon to your hands and rub them together until they are dry and your hands are germ free. Unfortunately, if your hands are covered in something disagreeable, you will need to use soap and water to get them clean.

Resources

• Hand Washing Wikipedia
• Hand Washing Mayo Clinic