HowtoWashYourHandsPracticegoodsanitationhabits.Ifyourhandsarenotcleanandyoutouchyourfaceorpublicsurfaces,youmaybeinfectingyourselfandothersbyspreadinggermsanddisease.Colds,flus,andinfectiousdiarrheaareallknowntobespreadbyhand-to-handcontact.Inarecentsurvey,while92%ofadultsintheU.S.claimedtheyregularlywashtheirhandsafterusingtherestroom,only77%actuallydid.Washingyourhandsregularlycanhelpkeepyouandthosearoundyouhealthybycontrollingthespreadofgerms(bacteriaandviruses)aswellasbyremovingplain,olddirt.Evenifyoualreadywashyourhands,takethetimetodoitregularlyandright.Here'show.Steps1.1Getyourhandswet.Turnthetaponandevenlyrinseyourhandsinwarmwater.Contrarytopopularbelief,hotwaterdoesnotremovebacteriamoreeffectivelythanwarmwater,andmayevenincreasethe"irritantcapacity"ofsomesoaps.2.2Usesoap.Anytypeofsoapwillwork,butifithelpsyouwashyourhandsmoreconsistentlytohavesoapthatisafunshapeorcolor,orapleasantfragrance,goforit.oAsoapdoesnothavetobeantibacterialtodoagoodjob.Soapworksbyremovinggermsandsoilratherthanbykillinggerms.Scientistsquestionwhetherantibacterialsoapsareanybetteratpreventinggermsanddiseasethanregularsoaps,andthereissomeconcernthatwidespreaduseofantibacterialsoapsmay,infact,breedbacteriathatareresistanttothoseantibacterialagents.Antibacterialsoapsmayalsodrytheskinmorethanordinarysoaps.3.3Workupalather.Scrubonbothsidesofyourhands,inbetweenyourfingers,andyourwrists.Remembertowasharoundandunderyourfingernails.4.4Washyourhandsforabout15-20seconds.Thisisjustaboutthetimeittakestosingachorusof"HappyBirthday."Besureandrubyourhandsvigorously,anddon'trinseoffthesoaprightaway.Giveittimetodoitsjobandgiveyourselftimetogetsoapeverywhereitshouldbe.Agoodtipistouserotationalrubbing,backwardsandforwardswithclaspedfingersfromyourrighthandinyourleftpalmandviceversa.5.5Rinseyourhandsthoroughly.Placethemunderrunningwaterwithyourhandspointeddownwardbutnottouchingthesink.Thisremovesboththesoapandthebacteriathatwasonyourhands.6.6Useatoweltoturnoffthefaucet,particularlyinapublicbathroom.Ifthefaucetturnsitselfoffonaspringoraphotocell,letit.Ifnot,useapapertowel,yourelbow,oryourforearm.7.7Dryyourhandswithacleantowel.Althoughtheyarenotasgoodfortheenvironment,papertowelsaremoresanitaryfordryingyourhandsthanclothtowels.Ifyouuseclothtowelsathome,launderthemregularly.Ifyouareinapublicrestroom,youcanalsousethehotairdryersiftheyareavailable.TipsUseapapertoweltoopenthedooronthewayoutofapublicrestroominsteadoftouchingthehandlewithyourfreshlywashedhands.Don'tassumethateverybodytakescaretowashtheirhandsbeforeleaving.Youdon'tneedtouseloadsofsoapforyourhandwashingtobeeffective.Aslongasyouhaveplentyofsuds,you'redoingthejob.Useabitofextrasoapifyourhandsareespeciallydirtyoroily.Remembertomoveupyourelbows,too(especiallyifyou'vebeenworkingwithdirtyfluids[e.g.workinginabutcherdepartmentatagrocerystore]).Thisshouldhelptomakesurethatyougetgermsoffofyourarmsaswell.Althoughyoudon'tuseyourarmsforcontactwithitemsthatmuch,youprobablycrossyourarmsoften,andithelpstokeepyourselfandothershealthy.Don'tjustwashyourhandswithwater.Germslovewarmmoistplacessoyouneedsoaptoremovethem.Ifyouhavealotofgreaseonyourhands,forinstancefromchangingtheoilinyourcar,scrubyourhandswithamixtureofsugarandsoaptoremovethegreaseeasily.Ifyou'renotnearasinkandyouneedtowashyourhands,youcanuseanalcohol-basedhandsanitizer.Ifusedcorrectly,itwillkillmostbacteria(exceptclostridiumdifficile).Beawarethatitwillnotnecessarilyremoveothersoils.Forexample,ifyoujustchangedtheoilinyourcar,killinggermsisnottheonlyreasontocleanyourhands.Itisbettertowashyourhandsifyoucan.Washyourhandsfrequently.oAfterusingthebathroom.oAfterchangingadiaper.oAftersneezing,coughing,orblowingyournose.oAfterhandlingsurfacesthatmanypeopletouch,suchasdoorknobsandrailingsoBeforepreparingorhandlingfood.oBeforeeating.oAfterhandlinguncookedeggsormeats.oAfterhandlinggarbage.oAfterhandlinganimalsoranimalwaste.oAfterhandlingmoney—thinkabouthowmanyhandsthatcrumpledbillhasbeenin.oAfterhandlingblood.
