subject: Hand Hygiene And Properly Washing Your Hands [print this page] According to the MayoClinic.com website, washing your hands frequently is one of the best ways to prevent becoming ill. As you come in contact with germs during the day by touching door knobs, keyboards, shaking others hands and touching the refrigerator handle you are accumulating dangerous germs. By continuing to touch your eyes, nose and mouth throughout the day you risk contracting dangerous illnesses. One of the most effective ways to fight the possibility of illness is to wash and sanitize your hands.
Some of the most important times to wash your hands are when making meals and eating, handling cuts on yourself and your child, coming in contact with an ill person, or using your contact lenses. Always wash your hands after using the bathroom, changing a child's diaper, blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing, coming in contact with animals, or taking out the garbage.
To properly wash your hands wet them, apply soap, lather well and rub them vigorously for over twenty seconds. Make sure you reach all of the surfaces, the fronts and backs of your hands and wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails. Continue to dry your hands with a clean towel and try to use that towel to turn off the faucet so you do not have to come in contact with the faucet handle.
Washing hands prevents illness. The different types of germs that can be attracted to ones hands are bacteria, protozoa, viruses and fungi. If we do not wash our hands they become carriers of germs. These germs not only spread to others, but they infect us through contact with our nose, hands and mouth and cause us to become ill. Hand sanitizer is another option when washing your hands is not possible. If the concentration of alcohol in the sanitizer is at least sixty percent than it is able to kill 99.99% of germs on hand that may lead to illness.
