From the Guidelines
You should wash your hands frequently throughout the day, especially before eating or preparing food, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose or coughing, after touching animals, after handling garbage, before and after treating wounds or caring for someone who is sick, and after being in public places, as recommended by the most recent guidelines 1. To wash your hands effectively, wet them with clean water, apply soap, lather by rubbing your hands together for at least 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice), scrub all surfaces including between fingers and under nails, rinse thoroughly, and dry with a clean towel or air dry. Some key times to wash your hands include:
- Before eating or preparing food
- After using the bathroom
- After blowing your nose or coughing
- After touching animals
- After handling garbage
- Before and after treating wounds or caring for someone who is sick
- After being in public places Hand washing is crucial because it removes germs that can cause illness, as emphasized in various studies 1. Our hands touch many surfaces throughout the day, collecting bacteria and viruses that can enter our bodies when we touch our eyes, nose, or mouth. Proper handwashing with soap physically removes these pathogens and is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like colds, flu, and gastrointestinal infections. It's also important to note that if soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethanol or isopropyl alcohol can be used as an alternative, as recommended by the 2024 American Heart Association and American Red Cross guidelines for first aid 1.
From the Research
When to Wash Your Hands
- Wash your hands frequently throughout the day, as demonstrated by Florence Nightingale in 1860, to reduce healthcare-associated infections and cross-infection between patients 2
- Hand hygiene is a vital intervention that can be used to prevent the spread of disease, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic 2
Effective Hand Hygiene Methods
- Handwashing with non-antibacterial soap and water is more effective for the removal of bacteria of potential faecal origin from hands than handwashing with water alone 3
- Antimicrobial hand hygiene products may not provide additional health benefits compared to plain soap and water in low-income settings 4
- Certain antimicrobial soaps, such as those containing triclosan, polyhexamethylene biguanide, and benzethonium chloride, may be more effective against a broad range of microorganisms than soaps containing triclosan alone 5
Special Considerations
- Artificial fingernails can contribute to the transmission of pathogens and their use by healthcare workers should be discouraged 6
- Hand cleansing with alcohol-based gel may be more effective than antimicrobial soap in reducing microbial colonization of artificial fingernails worn by healthcare workers 6