Hand washing

Why it is important to wash our hands?

Our hands are a host to a multitude of bacteria & viruses, most of which are harmless, but some which can cause illness, too many to list but including colds, flu, gastroenteritis etc. Every time we touch an object, we transfer & pick up bacteria. We then touch food, bite our nails & ingest those germs. Hand washing is the single most important thing we can do to reduce our chances of picking up harmful germs.

There are a range of anti-bacterial soaps on the market today, these are not necessary unless you live in a household where somebody is medically vulnerable. There is also concern that the over use of anti-bacterial soaps are creating resistant strains of bacteria. Anti-bacterial soaps have not been found to be any more effective than regular soaps. Another thing to consider is that many of the disease causing organisms on our hands are caused by viruses, anti-bacterial soaps will have no effect on them.      

When should we wash our hands?

Hands should be washed before;

• Preparing food
• Eating
• Before cleaning a wound (on yourself or somebody else)
• Before visiting a sick person

Hands should be washed after;

• Going to the toilet
• Changing a baby’s nappy
• After touching pets
• After touching yourself or somebody else with a contagious disease (ringworm, impetigo etc)
• After taking out the garbage
• After gardening
• After sneezing or coughing
• After visiting a sick person

How to wash your hands:

Most people do not wash their hands either often enough or properly. A quick splash under the taps is not enough to remove dirt & germs.

Water on it’s own is not enough to remove dirt & germs. Soap or detergents are necessary . Liquid soap is the preferred choice as soap bars can hold bacteria from previous uses.

• Wet hands with warm water and apply a squirt of liquid soap.

• Rub your hands together to lather up the soap and make sure you lather all areas, paying attention to between the fingers, under nails & rings. You should do this for 20 seconds. Sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself twice.

• Rings off all traces of soap with warm water.

• Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel, paper towel or air dryer.

Also see:

Disinfecting Kitchen Sponges, Food Safety In The Home, Hand Washing, Ingrown Toenails, Leukonychia, Nail Care, Onychomycosis (nail fungus)

Please note:

The medical articles on this site have not been written by a doctor & should not be considered a replacement for a doctor visit. The articles are provided for informative purposes only.

Always seek immediate medical advice for any problems.

While great care has been made in the creation of these articles, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or omissions on these pages. If in any doubt whatsoever, seek professional medical advice.