Washing hands is a simple task, but there are many questions that may arise in your mind on how to wash your hands. How many times should I wash my hands? Is the way I wash my hands proper or not? Should I use soap whenever I wash my hands? Or is water enough for washing hands? These are some of the questions that can come up in your mind. If this happens to you, you need not worry or get confused. Here is an answer to all your questions. Just read on, and you will get the answer to all your doubts.
How many times to wash your hands in a day?
Facts for you: Studies made have shown that you should wash your hands about 6 times in a day. This means that you may have to wash your hands every 2.5 hours, as you are awake for around 16 hours a day. During the interval between the two washes, your hands might have touched about 1500 potentially germy surfaces.
How Long Can Germs Live?
Facts for you: Germs can survive on your hands for about 2 to 24 hours.
You may have washed your hands 10 minutes ago, but if you have a cold and you blow your nose, then you should wash your hands more often than you usually do. This way you will be able to get rid of any germs that may remain on your hands.
Abdominal pain and diarrhea:
One of the best way to prevent diarrhoea and stomach problems is to wash your hands properly.
Facts for you: About 75 million people are said to be affected by these diseases in the United States every year. You can prevent these diseases by remembering to wash your hand well at regular intervals, especially before you have your food.
So, make sure that you wash your hands well and avoid becoming one of the 75 million ‘no time to wash my hands so have diarrhoea’ club.
Keep your hands clean:
Facts for you: You can get about 300 surfaces infested with germs in just a matter of 30 minutes. You may find it unbelievable, but it is true. This means that you can get sick from germs left by others on the surfaces. A study made in Purdue University in the year 2012 shows that the cell phone you use can contain about 10 times more bacteria than found on a toilet seat. So, all cell phone users should remember to wash their hands often.
Facts for you: It is said that an average woman or man touches her/his face around 16 times per hour.
It is true that you cannot avoid touching your face. But you can take care to keep your hands clean and free from germs. So, it is important that you wash your hands 6 times a day to be on the safer side. This way you can reduce contaminating your face with germs.
Reduce risks:
Washing your hands frequently can help in reducing the risk of suffering from food borne diseases to almost half.
Facts for you: According to CDC, if you wash your hands frequently, you can reduce the risk of diseases by about 50%. So, just remember to wash your hands properly and at regular intervals, and this helps you to keep the bacteria and germs away from your hands.
Soap and water everyday:
Our moms have always insisted on using soap and water for washing hands. This is the correct way to wash your hands and remove germs from your hands. But you have to remember that:
Washing your hands with water and soap may not kill those germs in all cases. They can often survive a bath. But an antiseptic hand wash can kill these germs.
Washing hands technique matters:
Technique plays an important part in all that you do. But hardly anyone thinks that washing hands needs a technique.
Facts for you: According to WHO, if you follow the right technique and regular washing of hands, you can prevent more diseases than vaccines or medical treatments.
It is almost unbelievable! But this does not mean that you do not need vaccines. You can take the advice of your doctor regarding the vaccines, but you can surprise your doctor with the above fact.
When to wash your hands?
Throughout the day you touch people, different objects and so on. This can cause germs to accumulate in your hands. When you touch your face, eyes, nose, mouth etc with these hands, it can infect these parts as well. So, wash your hands frequently.
Make sure that you wash your hands before:
- Preparing food or eating
- Treating wounds, caring the sick or injured person, giving medicine and so on.
- Inserting or removing your contact lenses
Always wash your hands after:
- Preparing food, especially when you touch raw mat ad poultry with your hands.
- Using the toilet or when you change the diaper.
- Blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing in your hands.
- Touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste.
- Treating wounds or caring for a sick or injured person.
- Shaking hands with others.
- Handling garbage, household or garden chemicals, or any object that is contaminated.
You should also wash your hands whenever you feel that you hands are looking dirty.
How to wash your hands?
You can wash your hands with soap and water. This is how you should wash your hands:
- Wet your hands with running water. You can use warm or cold water for washing hands.
- Apply liquid, bar or powder soap.
- Make lather and then rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Make sure that you scrub all surfaces, including the back of your hands, between your fingers, wrists and the area under your fingernails
- Rinse your hands well.
- Dry your hands using a clean disposable towel or air dryer.
- You can use towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet.
