You’ve probably noticed that your healthcare providers clean their hands a lot, either washing with soap and water or using hand sanitizer as they enter or leave your room – even if they wear gloves during your exam. Good hand hygiene is an easy way to stop the spread of germs and prevent illness – no matter where you are.
May 5 is World Hand Hygiene Day and a great time to remind ourselves about good hand hygiene habits.
When to clean your hands
We all know that we should clean our hands when they feel or are visibly dirty, it’s also best to clean them:
- Before, during, and after making or eating food
- Before touching your face, especially your eye, nose, or mouth
- After using the bathroom, or helping someone else use the bathroom
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, their food, or waste
- After touching garbage or taking out the trash
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick, or treating a cut or wound
If you’re in the hospital, or in another public place, it’s a good idea to clean your hands after touching high-touch surfaces like handrails, doorknobs, shared phones or other public use devices (like ATMs).
Hand cleaning how-to
Cleaning your hands takes less than a minute – it’s one of the simplest ways to take care of your health.
- Wet your hands with clean, running water and apply soap.
- Rub soapy hands together to create a lather for at least 20 seconds – make sure you cover the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Rinse your hands well with clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.
No soap and water? Hand sanitizer is a great way to take care of germs on the go.
To use hand sanitizer:
- Make sure your sanitizer is at least 60% alcohol.
- Place the recommended amount of gel (or foam) on your hands
- Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until your hands are dry. (About 20 seconds.)