December is National Handwashing Awareness Month, a great reminder of the importance of washing hands to slow the spread of germs and bacteria and help prevent illness. But when should you wash them and what is the best method to ensure good hygiene?
When Should You Wash Your Hands
Food-Related: Wash your hands before, during, and after preparing a meal or snack. Also, wash them before or after eating.
Bathroom Use: Wash after using the bathroom, changing a diaper, and blowing your nose or coughing.
Illness and Injury: If you have been close to someone who is sick, particularly if they are vomiting or have diarrhea, wash your hands. You’ll also want to wash after coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, and before and after treating a cut or wound.
Animal Contact: Wash your hands after touching animal, their food, toys, cages, and litter.
Trash: Wash after picking up trash, changing out trash bags, and touching trash cans.
Public Spaces: Public spaces can be infested with germs and bacteria, so it’s a good idea to wash hands after being in public places, touching surfaces in public, and/or entering or leaving your home or workplace.
Personal Care: Wash hands before touching areas that can introduce germs into your body, including eyes and mouth. This includes washing before and after putting in or removing contact lenses and before and after flossing teeth.
How to Wash Your Hands
Proper handwashing is easy. Just follow these five steps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Make sure you get enough soap to be able to cover the front and back of your hands with suds.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.
