Are you washing your hands properly?

Did you know that we have an estimated 10 million bacteria on each of our hands? True. According to infectious disease expert Dr. Mediadora Saniel, the best way to reduce infections is through proper hand washing.

As simple as that.

By simply washing your hands regularly, you can prevent a horde of deadly diseases like swine flu, SARS, tuberculosis, diarrhea, typhoid, sore eyes, and other future pandemics. The problem with germs is that because we don’t see them, we can be wishy-washy when it comes to washing our hands.

If you ask people if they wash their hands, they would mostly say “yes.” However, a US-based study shows that majority of adults do not know how to wash their hands properly. The people in the study usually missed cleaning the back of the hands, the fingertips, and the area around the thumb.

Handy Tips

The following tips are adopted from the American Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines:

• Understand that the sink is considered a dirty area. When standing in front of the sink, be careful not to touch any of its surface.

• If you can, remove any jewelry (except for wedding bands) before washing your hands. Microbes can accumulate in the inner areas of your jewelry. Just be careful you don’t lose your valuables!

• First step is to wet your hands thoroughly up to the wrist area. Keep your arms diagonal, with your hands lower than your elbows to allow the water to run down to your fingertips. This will let water flow from the less contaminated area (the forearms and wrists) to the more contaminated area (the hands and fingertips).

• Next, lather your hands with soap and water. Rinse the soap first with water so you can remove any soap suds that may contain microorganisms. If you are using liquid soap, pour around one teaspoonful and then lather.

• Now, scrub ALL areas of the hands. First, clean the palms together. Second, scrub the backs of your fingertips and nails on the palm of the other hand. Third, slide the palm of one hand on the backside of the other hand, using an up-and-down motion. Do this several times. Fourth, clean the area around each finger, especially the thumb. Finally, wash your wrists, up to the forearms. When washing the forearms, wash as high up as you feel might be dirty.

• To scrub hands: Do this firmly and with circular motions. Friction caused by rubbing the hands will remove dirt and microbes.

• Take note also that dirt can easily accumulate inside your fingernails. If possible, use a brush to clean surfaces under the nails or you can just use the fingernails of one hand to scrape the dirt off your other fingernails.

• Scrub your hands for at least a minute, or you can sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing your hands.

• Finally, rinse your hands with clean running water. Also, closely examine your hands if you missed some dirt or foam.

• Finally, dry your hands with a towel or you may use a dryer. If possible, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet. If your skin tends to dry up from the type of soap used, apply lotion to moisturize and soften your hands.

How To Use Hand Sanitizers

If soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based product to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on the skin and are fast-acting. First, apply the liquid to the palm of one hand. Then, rub hands together. Rub the product over all surfaces of the hands and fingers until hands are dry. In fact, alcohol-based products are superior to soap and water in killing bacteria. Therefore, it pays to keep one handy in your bag.

When You Should Wash Your Hands

According to the Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide, you should wash your hands for the following instances: 1) before preparing or eating food, 2) after going to the bathroom, 3) before and after visiting a sick person, 4) after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, 5) when you have a skin infection, 6) before and after treating a wound, 7) when people around you are sick, and 8) after handling an animal or garbage.

Remember that shaking hands can easily pass bacteria from one person to another. Hence, make hand washing a habit. Let’s teach our kids the proper way to wash their hands. It’s the best way to stay healthy and avoid infections.