Wash your hands, save a life

By: Mags Kafaar – Prime Cleaning Suppliers

Hand hygiene is the process of cleaning your hands to remove any harmful germs and bacteria that may be present. It is a crucial step in preventing the spread of infections and diseases. Practicing proper hand hygiene is especially important in healthcare settings, where the risk of infection is higher, but it is also important in everyday life to prevent the spread of illness.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that hand hygiene should be performed in several situations, including before and after touching a patient, before and after performing a medical procedure, after exposure to bodily fluids, after touching objects in the patient’s surroundings, and after removing gloves. Additionally, hand hygiene should be performed before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the washroom, after blowing your nose, and after touching animals or animal waste.

There are two main methods of hand hygiene: handwashing with soap and water and hand-sanitising with an alcohol-based hand rub. Both methods are effective, but handwashing is generally preferred when hands are visibly dirty or contaminated with bodily fluids.

When washing hands with soap and water, it is important to wet your hands with running water and apply soap. Rub your hands together vigorously for at least 20 seconds, making sure to clean all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Rinse your hands thoroughly with running water and dry them with a paper towel for maximum effectiveness and removal of germs.

In a case study conducted by Harvard Medical School in 2018, the following evidence was presented: what is a person to do to avoid picking up bacteria in a washroom? You should always dry your hands, as not drying them after washing helps bacteria to survive on the skin. Paper towels are the most hygienic way to dry your hands. For this reason, use of paper towels is already routine in health care settings.

When using an alcohol-based hand rub, apply enough product to cover all surfaces of your hands and rub your hands together until they are dry. It is important to use the recommended amount of product, as using too little can be ineffective and using too much can be wasteful.

In addition to practicing proper hand hygiene, it is also important to avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose, and mouth. This can help prevent the spread of germs that may be on your hands.

Overall, hand hygiene is a simple but effective way to prevent the spread of infections and diseases. By practicing proper hand hygiene in our daily lives, we can help protect ourselves and those around us from illness.

It is, therefore, our plight, as the doctors of our industry, to both educate and propagate the importance of protecting our families, colleagues, patients and clients by following the basic and simple formula of proper hand hygiene.

It all starts with you!