The first week of December marks seven days of National Hand Washing Awareness. Hand washing is something that we all do - or at least we should be doing - on a regular basis. The trouble is, you may not be doing it right to get the full benefits. During flu season, it can be one of the best ways to ward off germs and prevent us from catching a number of viruses. Granted, washing your hands isn't foolproof as there are plenty of opportunities for those pesky germs to attack when the holiday season brings us in close proximity to quite a few people during parties and get-togethers, but it is still one of our best forms of defense.
The Centers for Disease Control estimates that washing hands with soap and water could reduce diarrheal disease-associated deaths by up to 50% and reduce the risk of respiratory infections by 16%. So, how can we be sure we are maximizing its full effects?
It comes down to following five easy steps ... wash, lather, scrub, rinse and dry. One of the biggest steps that many of us skimp on in the scrubbing part. You should be spending a full 20 seconds during this phase with the easiest way to count down by singing "Happy Birthday" through twice. When we wash our hands can be just as important as how. The CDC offers the following tips.
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- 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 blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treatsAfter touching garbage
When all else fails and you're unable to make it to the sink, you can always opt for alcohol gel hand sanitizer. One study found that using hand sanitizer reduced infection in students from 16 schools by almost 20% reducing absenteeism of some 6,000 students.
One drawback of washing your hands too much is the effects it can have with drying out your skin, so after you dry, be sure to have some moisturizer handy. Happy hand washing!
