February 15, 2006
Hand Washing: A Simple Way To Prevent Infection
The most important thing that you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands.
This simple habit requires only soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer--a cleanser that doesn't require water. By frequently washing your hands you wash away germs that you have picked up from other people, or from contaminated surfaces, or from animals.
Despite the proven health benefits of hand washing, many people don't practice this habit as often as they should--even after using the bathroom. Throughout the day you accumulate germs on your hands. If you do not wash your hands frequently enough, you can infect yourself with these germs by rubbing your eyes, nose, or mouth. And you can spread these germs to others by touching them or by touching surfaces that they also touch, such as doorknobs.
The First Line of Defense Against Germs
Germs--such as bacteria and viruses--can be transmitted several different ways. Some ways germs are spread include:
- through contaminated water and food
- through droplets released during a cough or a sneeze
- through contaminated surfaces
- through a sick person's body fluids
One of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus. You can also spread germs directly to others or onto surfaces that other people touch. And before you know it, everybody around you is getting sick. Good hand washing is your first line of defense against the spread of many illnesses--not just the common cold or the flu, but more serious illnesses as well.
How to Wash Your Hands Correctly
Here are some simple steps for scrubbing those germs away. Demonstrate this routine to your child--or better yet, wash your hands together with your child several times a day so he or she learns how important this good habit is.
1. Wash your hands in warm water. Make sure the water isn't too hot for little hands.
2. Use soap and lather up for about 10 to 15 seconds (antibacterial soap isn't necessary; any soap will do). Make sure you get in between the fingers and under the nails where uninvited germs like to hang out. And don't forget the wrists!
3. Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.
Alcohol-based sanitizers--which don't require water--are an excellent alternative to hand washing, particularly when soap and water are not available. Some sanitizers contain ingredients (eg. Moisturizers) that help to prevent skin dryness and irritation. However, not all sanitizers contain alcohol. It is important to use only the alcohol-based products to prevent the spread of germs. If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water rather than a sanitizer.
To minimize the germs passed around your family, make frequent hand washing a rule for everyone, especially:
- before eating and cooking (before and after preparing food, especially before and immediately after handling raw meat, poultry, or fish
- after using the bathroom
- after changing a diaper (wash the diaper wearer's hands, too)
- after cleaning around the house (after handling garbage)
- after touching animals, including family pets
- after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives
- after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- after being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)
- before or after treating wounds or cuts
- before putting on or taking off contact lenses
Kids may not always listen when you tell them to wash their hands before eating, but it's a message worth repeating.
To get kids into the hand-washing habit, teach by example. Wash your hands with your children and supervise hand washing. Tell your children to wash their hands as long as it takes them to sing their ABCs, "Row, Row, Row Your Boat " or the "Happy Birthday" song. This works well with younger children, who may rush when washing their hands.
Older children can use alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Younger children can use them, too--with an adult's help. Just make sure the sanitizer has completely dried before your child touches anything else to avoid alcohol contact from hand-to-mouth. Store the container safely away after use.
To protect your child's health, be sure your daycare provider promotes frequent hand washing or use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Ask whether the child is required to wash their hands several times a day--not just at meals or snack time.
Don't underestimate the power of hand washing! The few seconds you spend at the sink with your child could save you trips to the see the doctor.