The Steps of Proper Hand Washing: WHO Hand Hygiene
The novel coronavirus outbreak has made people around the world worried and scared for their life. It creates panics. Many people have bought lots of hand sanitizer, paper towels, soap, wet wipes, etc. There is a shortage almost everywhere for those stuff. World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have stated that we should do basic protective measure against the novel coronavirus by washing our hands frequently. Washing hands is one of the most important and fundamental steps of personal hygiene that you can take every day to avoid spreading disease and germs to others. When was the last time you thought about how you washed your hands? You have done it all your life – but have you done it properly?
Why do we wash our hands?
Here are some reasons why we need to wash our hands:
- Many diseases and medical conditions are easily spread only from dirty hands.
- Every day there are around thousands of people die around the world from infections from while they’re receiving health care.
- The main pathways of germ transmission during health care are through our hands.
- Every day, we touch germ covered surfaces, goods, electronic devices, etc.
- Even though experts say do not touch our face, mouth and nose, we can’t deny that we do touch our face frequently.
- Keeping our hands clean is the most important measure to avoid the transmission of harmful germs and prevent infections.
When to wash hands?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand washing should be done at these following times:
- Before, during and after cooking or preparing food
- Before eating
- Before and after treating a sick person
- Before and after treating open sores or blisters
- After using the bathroom or toilet
- After changing a diaper or cleaning a small child after leaving the toilet
- After handling animals (pets), feeding animals, or cleaning animal dung
- After handling animal food
- After touching the trash or taking out the trash
In addition, you also should wash your hands at these following times:
- Before removing or using contact lenses
- After cleaning, coughing, or wiping a runny nose
- After shaking hands with others
How to wash our hands properly
Did you know that washing your hands is not just rubbing, rinse, and dry? CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) issued detailed and effective hand washing guidelines to kill germs. Here are the steps of proper hand washing based on WHO hand hygiene recommendations:
- Wet your hands with clean running water, turn off the tap, then pour enough soap.
- Rub your hands together. Make sure you rub between your fingers, the backs of your hands, and under your nails.
- Hook your fingers together with your palms touching each other, and rub the inside, alternating the two sides of your hands.
- Then switch positions. Hook the fingers of your left hand over the back of your right hand and rub the backs of your hands alternately.
- Rub the left thumb using the right hand in a circular motion, and vice versa.
- Do it for 20 to 30 seconds. As a reference, you can mumble the song “Happy Birthday” twice during hand washing.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly with running water.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dry them.
- If possible, turn off the faucet using your elbows or use a tissue to prevent your clean hands from turning off the faucet. Personally I often use my elbow to turn of the faucet or I pour soap and rinse the faucet off first before washing my own hands.
Washing hands with soap is the best way to eliminate large amounts of germs. If you are in a place with no water or soap, use an alcohol hand sanitizer gel. A powerful hand cleansing gel to reduce germs, but can not eradicate the entire bacteria. You may also want to try making your own hand sanitizer. You can find how to do it here.
How to rub our hands with hand sanitizer properly?
Of course you don’t always have soap and water when traveling. But lack of access to soap and water shouldn’t prevent you from getting hygienic hands. Here’s how:
- Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
- Rub your hands together.
- Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.
This is especially useful just before eating, also when you are in crowded places such as shops, parks and public transportation. But remember, you still have to wash your hands if they look dirty. The use of hand sanitizers for children must be done under the supervision of parents.
Regular soap or antibacterial soap?
Antibacterial soaps that are sold on the market are apparently not more effective in killing germs when compared to ordinary soap.
One 2015 study in South Korea compared the effectiveness of ordinary soap with antibacterial soap with 0.3% triclosan against a panel of bacteria, including Listeria, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus for 20 seconds as a testing method recommended by the FDA.
As a result, the two soaps work equally effectively in cleaning hands from bacteria, but soap containing triclosan takes longer to work effectively to kill germs. One guess is that the other supporting compositions in the soap slow down the antibacterial ability of triclosan.
In addition, several studies link the long-term and unnecessary effects of triclosan, including antibiotic resistance to germs, allergies, and hormonal disorders. One study even linked long-term exposure to triclosan with the possibility of cancer potential.
The results of this study then require antibacterial soap manufacturers to attach scientific evidence to support the claims of antiseptic effectiveness of their products.
Bottom Line
I hope you learned new things from this post about the steps of proper hand washing based on WHO hand hygiene guidelines.
Washing hands does not require much time and effort, but provides a myriad of benefits for the health of you and your family. Help your children to get used to washing hands by showing them directly how to wash hands properly.
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Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.
Thank you for reading today’s topic: The Steps of Proper Hand Washing: WHO Hand Hygiene
I have never concentrated on hand washing like I do now. Rubbing between the finders at the knuckle is something I really never even had paid attention to in the past. At our office building, it is a great sign that we run out of liquid soap quite frequently. Not great that we run out but good in the sense that everybody in the building is washing their hands every time they go in . That never happened previously! I think people are starting to get it!
Hello Robert,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
You are right. People are more aware of the importance of proper hand washing nowadays especially with the pandemic of coronavirus happening. I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family. Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Ferra
Hello ferra Spencer, this is a wonderful post that I consider to be in a million ways, very valuable. It is true that Corona virus is eating up the world now but we have been told that we need to wash our hands regularly and keep ourselves celan. The truth however is that not so many people know how to keep themselves clean and wash their hands properly. I am very happy that I have learnt from you. Thanks!
Hello Henderson,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family. Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Ferra
Great article to remind us all on the importance of hand washing to stop the spread of disease and viruses and teach us the proper techniques. I believe it’s important to not only scrub your hands for 20 seconds but to clean under the nails and the back of the hands and thumbs as well. These areas are often under served. Proper hygiene is key to our health as well as those we come into contact with. The one surprising thing is that anitbacterial soup is a little better at killing germs, i had thought it was unnecessary as long as proper technique for washing was used. Thank you for clarifying this for me.
Hi Patricia,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
I agree that when people wash their hands sometimes they don’t really pay attention to wash them thoroughly especially under the nails and the back of hands. Women with long nails would but what about others. Children also need to be taught how to wash their hands properly, especially after they play with their toys, phones, ipads, etc.
I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family. Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Ferra
Thank you for your post. it is a timely article for all. It is critical time for everyone in the world. The coronavirus is everywhere in the world. We can’t see, feel, smell, touch, and smell it. But they are in our hands if we touch the contaminated subjects.
I particularly like your description on When to wash hands. In sum, we should wash our hands as often as possible. If there is no water and soap and try to use alcohol wipes.
Also washing hands is not just for yourself and it is for all who may associate with you, your family member, your friends, and your colleagues.
Let’s work together to wash away all the bugs from our living enviroment.
Hi Anthony,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family, friends and colleagues by letting them know and showing them the proper way to hand washing. Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Ferra
Your guide and suggestion are very helpful for me. We are following each suggestion but your detailed guide also helped us to know the way we can do it. You are doing an amazing work by spreading such useful knowledge. As we all know that washing hands does not require much time and effort, but provides a myriad of benefits for the health of our family.
Hi Harish,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate your kind words and comment! 😃 👍
I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family. Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Ferra
This article is a very educative one for alot of people who know less about how contaminated disease. Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Learn when and how you should wash your hands to stay healthy. Wash your hands often to stay healthy. You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs. Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community, from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals. Follow these few steps every time which are wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap, lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails, scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice, rinse your hands well under clean, running water, Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them. Use hand sanitizer when you can’t use soap and just this few steps is what keep me and my family clean and safe from all contaminated disease even Corona virus.
Thanks for this article.
Hi Evagreene,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family. Stay safe and healthy!
Cheers,
Ferra
Hi, this is such a useful tips on how to wash your hand thoroughly. I was surprised that those antibacterial soaps are no better effect than ordinary soap. I thought it is supposed to be better. Well, i shall just use the normal hand wash or soap instead.
What do you think about alcohol hand wash? Are they effective to kill germs? We have run out of alcohol hand wash and thinking what else can we use when we are outside the house?
Hello Jessie,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
Are you talking about using hand sanitizer? Using hand sanitizer is okay but if you make it yourself say using alcohol 60% and up then mix it with aloe vera gel, you have to be careful because if the ratio is not right, your hands can get too dry and it will risk irritation or if the alcohol is not enough, then it won’t be effective to kill germs. I personally prefer to wash my hands using water and soap. I feel so much better knowing my hands are clean. Using hand sanitizer is not a substitute of water.
Once again thank you for your comment and questions. Stay healthy and safe!
Cheers,
Ferra
Many thanks to you for writing such a health-conscious article. The main theme of this article is that the Proper Way handwash that hands hygiene.Each step is very important for hand washing as mentioned in your article.The earth is currently infected with the Coronavirus. It is important to wash a proper way hand to protect yourself from all types of viruses, including this coronavirus.
Our country is also infected with the CoronavirusWe wash hands with antibacterial soap, so we are especially aware of our family’s health. We Take 20 to 30 seconds to wash hands and wash the back of the hands with water very well.
Loved reading your article and an educational article where health awareness is mentioned.So I would like to share this tutorial on my Facebook group so that everyone can know and learn if you give me permission.
Hello,
Thank you for taking time to visit my site, read my post and leave a comment. I really appreciate it! 😃 👍
I am so glad that you and your family are well and practice the proper hand washing at home. Keep up your good work in protecting your family. Stay safe and healthy!
Yes, please do share the post. I think it would be valuable for others as well. Some people might not know how important to wash their hands properly. Thank you so much for doing so.
Cheers,
Ferra