Tag Archives: handwashing

National Handwashing Awareness Week: Prevent the spread of germs

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National Handwashing Awareness Week is Dec. 5 – 11. Handwashing is one of the best and simplest ways to protect yourself, keep your family healthy and prevent the spread of germs.  

Germs can spread from person to person or from surfaces to people when you: 

  • Touch your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands 
  • Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands 
  • Touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them 
  • Blow your nose, cough or sneeze into hands and then touch other people’s hands or common objects 

Frequently Asked Questions about Hand Hygiene 

What are the key times to wash hands? 
These are CDC’s key times you should wash your hands: 

  • Before, during and after preparing food 
  • Before eating 
  • Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea 
  • Before and after treating a cut or wound 
  • After using the toilet 
  • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet 
  • After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste 
  • After handling pet food or pet treats 
  • After touching garbage 
  • If your hands are visibly dirty or greasy 
  • After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, you should immediately clean your hands by either washing them with soap and water or using hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. 

Do I really need to wash my hands for 20 seconds? 
Many scientific studies have shown that scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds removes most of the harmful germs or chemicals from your hands. Making sure to scrub all areas of your hands, including your palms, backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails will help ensure you reach the 20 second mark.  

How does handwashing with soap and water remove germs and chemicals? 
Soap and water, worked into a lather, trap and remove germs and chemicals from hands. Lather forms pockets called micelles that trap and remove germs, harmful chemicals and dirt from your hands. That’s why it’s unnecessary to use antibacterial soaps.  

How do hand sanitizers work differently than handwashing? 
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol works by killing germs on your hands, while washing your hands with soap and water removes the germs from your hands. Handwashing removes germs that hand sanitizers may not be able to kill.  

Global Handwashing Day: What You Need to Know

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Celebrated each year on October 15, Global Handwashing Day is an opportunity to create awareness about how proper handwashing affects your health. Proper handwashing can prevent infectious diseases like norovirus and the flu.

Here are 3 fast facts about handwashing:

  • Key times to always wash your hands with soap and clean water are: after using the bathroom, preparing food, before eating, and after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available.
  • Hand sanitizers do NOT get rid of all types of germs.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), follow these steps to wash your hands the correct way:

  1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, apply soap.
  2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
  3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from the beginning to end twice.
  4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

For more information about proper handwashing techniques, visit https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

 

Clean Hands Count: 3 Hand Hygiene Myth Busters in Recognition of World Hand Hygiene Day

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World Hand Hygiene Day is Sunday, May 5.  Even though it may seem trivial to review facts about hand-washing, there are many little known facts about proper hand sanitation.

Myth #1:  Soap and water is better than alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is more effective and less drying than soap and water.  Sanitizers reduce bacterial counts on hands and are effective against multidrug-resistant organisms.  Sanitizers generally cause less skin irritation than frequent use of soap and water as well.

Myth #2:  Alcohol-based hand sanitizers eventually cause antibiotic resistance.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill germs quickly and in a different way than antibiotics.  There is no change for the germs to adapt or develop resistance.

Handwashing CDC Photo

Myth 3:  The amount of product you use does not matter.

Use enough alcohol-based hand sanitizer to cover all surfaces of your hands.  Rub your hands together until they are dry.  Your hands should stay wet for around 20 seconds if you used the right amount.

Proper hand sanitation does not have to be difficult.  Using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer is an efficient way to keep your hands healthy.  Remember public surfaces such as gas pumps handles, door knobs, money, and toilets may carry highly contaminated microbes.

For more information about hand hygiene visit:  https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/index.html

 

Handwashing: A Simple, Effective, Painless Way To Help Fight Germs

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Want to know a simple, effective, painless way to protect yourself and others and put a stop to the spread of germs? Wash your hands.

Regular handwashing is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick and keep from spreading germs to others. It is particularly important to wash your hands at appropriate times before, during and after preparing food, after using the toilet and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

It’s flu season. While getting the annual flu vaccine is the single best way to protect yourself and your loved ones, it’s also important to wash your hands. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.

So, how should you wash your hands to make sure they are clean? Here’s what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says:

  • 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. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
  • Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you 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.

If clean, running water is not accessible, use soap and available water. If soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol to clean your hands.

Visit the CDC’s website for more information on handwashing.

From Other Blogs: Breast Cancer Awareness Month, protect your hearing, flu & more.

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A collection of health and environmental posts from other governmental blogs.

Be Informed. Be Empowered.

Do you ever find yourself wondering what is right for you when it comes to breast cancer screening or treatment? Having the right information about prevention, screening, and treatment for breast cancer can help you decide what’s best for you.

As we observe Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I want to highlight how promoting the right tools not only gets the word out about breast cancer, but also empowers you in making the best decisions for your health.  —  From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s The Topic Is Cancer blog

October is “National Protect Your Hearing Month.”

October is “Better Hearing and Speech Month,” a time to raise awareness about what you need to do to protect your hearing.

Did You Know?

Repeated exposure to loud noise over the years can damage your hearing—long after exposure has stopped.

This is just one of the many informative facts available on CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health’s new hearing loss website: https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hearing_loss/default.html. — From the CDC’s Your Health — Your Environment blog

Never Miss a Flu Vaccine. Here Are the Reasons #WhyIFightFlu

The reason #WhyIFightFlu? It saves lives.

Americans experienced one of the most severe flu seasons in four decades last year with flu activity remaining high well into March 2018. Millions of Americans became sick with the flu, an estimated 900,000 were hospitalized, and 80,000 died from flu and its complications. — From the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) blog

3 Reasons Why Handwashing Should Matter to You

Most of us are familiar with the parental-like voice in the back of our minds that helps guide our decision-making—asking us questions like, “Have you called your grandmother lately?” For many that voice serves as a gentle, yet constant reminder to wash our hands.

Handwashing with soap and water is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to loved ones. — From the CDC’s Public Health Matters blog

School Lunch: Lots 2 Love

While many students were busy enjoying summer vacation, our nation’s hardworking school nutrition professionals were also staying busy, dedicating their time to training and meal planning for the upcoming school year. During National School Lunch Week (October 15-19), USDA recognizes the tireless effort and love that goes into preparing school lunches for 30 million children.

Well before our youngsters headed back to class, this past summer both the Minnesota Department of Education and the Montana Department of Public Instruction made the most of their Team Nutrition Training Grant funding. This is important funding that provides culinary job skills training for their respective school nutrition professionals. The trainings help school managers and cooks prepare healthy meals that use local foods in their menus, while reflecting regional and local food preferences. — From the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) blog

5 tips to get more fruits and vegetables in your diet

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), more than 90 percent of adults and children do not consume the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. Palmetto Health Heart Hospital dietitian Lisa Akly offers these tips to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet. — From Flourish, Palmetto Health’s blog