Why Handwashing is Effective at Stopping the Spread of Germs

disinfection, handwashing, sanitation, sanitising

Could it really be that simple? Experts say yes.

Handwashing is one of the easiest and most important steps we can take to prevent the spread of germs that cause infectious diseases.

According to researchers in London, an estimated one million deaths per year can be prevented if everyone routinely washed their hands.[1] Washing hands can help remove harmful microorganisms that cause the flu, cold, and stomach bug, as well as many other illnesses.

How Germs Spread

Disease-causing bacteria can be picked up easily and through a variety of ways. You can get germs on your hands as you go about your daily activities, such as:

  • Using the washroom
  • Changing your baby’s nappy
  • Handling a cleaning cloth or rubbish bin
  • Touching a contaminated surface or object
  • Coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
  • Feeding or playing with your pet
  • Handling raw meat, poultry, or fish as you prepare dinner

You can also spread microbes by simply touching a person, surface, or object without first washing your hands after doing any of the above.

Washing your hands with hand cleaner regularly is a simple yet effective practice that removes microbes from your hands and helps prevent the transmission of illnesses.

When to Wash Your Hands

Whilst it is impossible to keep your hands free of bacteria completely and all of the time, frequent handwashing is helpful at reducing the chances of picking up and spreading germs.

Proper hand hygiene not only involves washing your hands but doing it at the right time, such as after coming into contact with items that are obviously contaminated, such as toilets, pets, and rubbish bins. It is also important to wash your hands after touching surfaces or items frequently touched by multiple people, such as elevator buttons, door handles, ATM keypads, and shopping carts or baskets, to name a few.

However, it is most crucial to wash your hands:

  • Before, during, and after preparing food
  • Before eating
  • Before and after visiting or caring for those who are sick
  • After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
  • Before and after treating cuts and wounds
  • After going to the toilet
  • After changing a nappy or helping your child go to the toilet
  • After feeding, playing with, or cleaning up after your pet

The above-mentioned is not an exhaustive list, but it gives you an idea for when and how frequently you should be washing your hands to prevent the spread of germs and diseases from one person to another.

How to Properly Wash Your Hands

As with the frequency of handwashing, practicing proper handwashing is also crucial for preventing the transmission of diseases. Follow these easy steps:

  1. Wet your hands thoroughly with running water. Warm or cold water will do.
  2. Apply hand cleaner and lather your hands by rubbing them together. Make sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
  3. Scrub your hands. Do this for at least 20 seconds. Hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice over whilst scrubbing to be sure!
  4. Rinse your hands well under running water.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel. You can also air dry them.

Using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser that contains at least 62% alcohol in between hand washings is also recommended.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/hygiene/fast_facts.html#two

Related Posts

Are Residual Disinfectants Effective Against the Coronavirus?

Person-to-person transmission through respiratory droplets is believed to be the primary way that the coronavirus is spread. However, experts do not want to discount the possibility that indirect transmission can happen when a person touches a surface contaminated with the virus, and then touches their own mouth, nose or even their eyes. This makes not [...]

Supporting RRT by Donating Australian-Made Hand Sanitiser

Envirofluid has been supporting RRT for several years and it is our pleasure to donate Triple7 SaniSkin hand sanitiser to the organisation to help them serve communities in need during the pandemic. Related Products Triple7 SaniSkin Gel Kills 99.9% of Germs Powerful Anti-Bacterial Action Leaves Skin Clean & Refreshed Designed for Daily Use - No [...]

Why You Shouldn’t Use Methanol Based Hand Sanitisers

Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration flagged several hand sanitising products manufactured in Mexico for containing potentially dangerous levels of methanol, or wood alcohol, a toxic substance that could ultimately result in death.  Alcohol-based hand sanitisers are in greater demand as experts continue to emphasize the role of hand hygiene in preventing the spread [...]

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

preloader