Many of us have forgotten one of the most basic lessons our mothers taught us: Wash your hand. At first it may seem ridiculous that serious scientists bothered to check on the matter. But hand washing is a serious issue. If, for example, you’re sick and you don’t wash your hands frequently, the warm, moist creases in your palms become perfect havens for disease – causing germs, making it easy for you to spread them directly to others or onto surfaces that others may touch. Soon, you will have lots of sniffling company.
Essential Tips For Health & Wellbeing
Good hand washing requires three elements: soap, water and friction. Although washing hands seems easy, these often overlooked techniques make it more effective – and more likely to protect your health.
• Get into hot water – A public opinion survey in the US found that three in ten people don’t know that warmer water is more effective in eliminating germs. You are in the right range if the water feels comfortable.
• Remove the jewels – When researchers compared bacteria counts on the hands of 50 ring wearing health care workers to those of 50 who did not wear rings, they discovered that ring wearers had higher counts of staph bacteria both before and after hand washing. Hand washing reduced staph counts by 46 percent for those without rings – but only 29 percent for those with rings. The lesson: before washing, remove your jewelry, and then wash your jewelry and your hands.
• Soap it up – If someone in your family is ill or has weakened immunity, it is always better to avoid antibacterial cleansers. Wash with the mildest soap available, preferably one that contains a moisturizer. Germs from other people’s hands can cling to bars of soap, so it’s better to use a squirt of liquid soap. Liquid soap dispensers can become contaminated, so use disposable ones or clean reusable ones.
• Take your time – Once your time hands are lathered, timing is critical. One study demonstrated that a five second rinse with water alone made essentially no difference in the number of certain bacteria on the finger tips. A 30 second wash with water plus soap, however, eradicated them all. Vigorously rub your hands together for about as long as it takes to say the alphabet slowly. Cover all surfaces: fronts, back and sides of hands and fingers, as well as spaces between fingers and under fingernails.
• Rinse thoroughly – Cold water is fine for rinsing. The physical force of the water is what carries dirt and germs down the drain.
• Prefer paper – Wipe your hands well after washing. The friction from drying rubs off most remaining microbes. The most effective way to dry? Use a clean paper towel to turn off the tap. Then take a fresh paper towel and dry your hands with it for ten seconds. Avoid sharing cloth towels – they hold onto germs from previous users; paper towels are cleaner.
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