How to Thoroughly Wash Hands

Washing hands

Washing your hands is a perfect way to decrease your chances of contracting a serious illness. In the workplace, washing your hands is mandatory, but are you washing your hands correctly? Here are some tips on how to wash your hands so they'll be clean and germ-free.

Instructions

1. Always use an antibacterial soap and warm water. When washing hands, you should never use just plain soap and cold water (which is what most busy people do). You should take the time to wash your hands with an antibacterial soap and use warm water, to aid in killing germs. In most homes and workplaces, antibacterial soap is not available. If this is the case, you should consider buying some antibacterial soap and some hand sanitizer for yourself.

2. Wash from your fingertips to at least your mid-forearm. When washing their hands, most people often don't think to wash more than just their hands, instead they will wash just their hands and be done with the process. If you wash your hands like this, when your hands dry, you could transfer germs from the parts of your hands that you didn't wash to the parts that you did wash in a matter of seconds and it does no good. It is recommended that you wash your fingertips (under your finger nails if you have long fingernails), your palms, the backs of your hands, and up to your mid to upper forearm. This can lessen the chance of transfer.

3. Spend sufficient time washing your hands. Some people go to the washing station and wash their hands for about 10 seconds, dry them and back to work (or whatever they were doing before visiting the wash station) they go. When you are hands on in a germy environment, especially if you have just come from the bathroom or have just finished handling meat, you should lather your hands for at least 30 seconds and spend 10 to 15 seconds rinsing the lather from your hands.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember, antibacterial soap and water (and hand sanitizer if on hand) is the best way of decreasing germs. Lotion soaps and anything that isn't antibacterial will not help.

Resources

• Food and Drug Administration