Hand Washing Techniques

Washing hands correctly prevents the spread of germs.

It is important for people to wash their hands, and to do so often. Washing your hands properly removes germs that can easily be spread through touch. The flu and colds are generally spread through germs on the hands, which is why you should wash always wash your hands after coughing or sneezing. To prevent the spread of bacteria, it is important to also wash your hands after using the bathroom, after you touch garbage, after changing a diaper and before and after preparing food. It is important to use the proper technique to ensure that your hands are washed thoroughly.

Things You'll Need

• Water
• Soap
• Clean towel or paper towel

Instructions

1. Turn on the water. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) recommend using either warm or cold water to wash hands. Wet hands first, before applying soap. This will immediately rinse off harmful residue that could be massaged into the skin when cleaning.

2. Apply a small amount of soap and lather it up, rubbing your hands together. A vigorous rubbing is not necessary. The CDC and other resources recommend cleansing the hands with soap for a continual 20 seconds before rinsing. In addition to rubbing your hands together, make sure you interlock your fingers so the soap and water gets between each finger. Also be sure to clean the back of your hands and under your fingernails.

3. Rinse your hands thoroughly with water and then either air dry your hands or dry them with a clean towel or paper towel. Community towels can spread germs, and so can faucets, so it is sometimes recommended that you use a paper towel to both turn on the faucet and to turn it off after washing.

4. Use a hand sanitizer when there is no sink available (or soap) to wash your hands. A hand sanitizer is not a replacement for washing hands, but can be used on those occasions when hand washing is not available. According to the CDC, make sure the sanitizer contains at least 60 percent alcohol. The alcohol in hand sanitizers kills many germs, but will not kill every type of germ, says the CDC.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Wash Your Hands