Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread around by not washing your hands with Water and Soap.
Using Soap and Water to clean your hands is the best way to stop yourself from spreading illnesses or getting them. A number of infectious diseases can be spread by contaminated hands. These include gastrointestinal infections, such as Salmonella, and respiratory infections, like influenza. Washing hands properly can help prevent the spread of the germs that cause these diseases.
The best times to wash your hands is:
- After blowing your nose
- After smoking
- Between handling raw and ready-to-eat food
- After handling animals
- Before eating food
- Before and after being near sick children or other family members.
- After using the toilet
- After handling rubbish or working in the garden
- Before, during and after preparing food
The best way to wash your hands is:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn the tap, and apply soap to both your hands.
- Rub both your hands together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub both your hands for at least 20 seconds properly.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water (warm or cold).
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
Washing your hands could possibly save hundreds of lives. You and everybody should do it when recommended in the list above. Here are 3 Fun Facts!
- Only 20 percent of people wash their hands before preparing food. Fewer than 75 percent of women and 50 percent of men wash hands after going to the bathroom.
- A study of Detroit school children showed that those who washed their hands had 24 percent fewer sick days due to colds and 51 percent fewer sick days due to upset stomachs.
- Most bacteria on our hands are on our fingertips and under our nails. For every 15 seconds we spend washing our hands, 10 times more bacteria are removed.