Hand Washing 101
One of the most important ways you can stop the spread of germs is simply by keeping your hands clean. Whether you’re preparing food, caring for others or simply avoiding sickness, hand washing is the number one defense.
This seemingly simple yet important task can sometimes be overlooked or completed ineffectively, so we will review when and how to wash your hands to keep everyone safe and healthy.
Food is an easy way for foreign bodies to enter our bodies. For this reason, it’s important to be vigilant when preparing and eating food. Wash your hands properly before, during and after food prep to avoid cross contamination. And if someone else has kindly prepared your food for you, be sure you wash your hands before you eat it.
People that are sick or injured are particularly vulnerable, so it is important to properly wash your hands before caring for someone that is ill or treating a wound.
If you’re already sick, keep it to yourself! Others will thank you for not sharing your germs. After you blow your nose, cough or sneeze, take a minute to scrub your hands and stop those germs from going anywhere else.
For obvious reasons, the washroom is a place where hand washing is absolutely necessary. That goes for yourself or if you are changing a diaper or helping a little one.
They may be super cute and cuddly, but animals can be dirty and unknowingly carry with them germs that you don’t want to share. After snuggling with your pet, feeding them, giving them a treat or picking up their waste, it’s a good idea to hit the washroom and clean your hands.
Cleaning up or taking out garbage exposes you to all of the things others have thrown away. Wearing disposable vinyl gloves while dealing with garbage can help protect you, but a good scrub at the sink after is required, regardless.
We all fall into habits and routines and perhaps your hand washing routine has deteriorated to a quick rinse. Let’s review the proper way to wash your hands to best protect you and others from the spread of bacteria and germs.
First, wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Our Betco Clario Clear Dye & Fragrance Free Foaming Skin Cleanser is a great option for many organizations that have a fragrance-free policy. The hypoallergenic formula is gentle your skin. This foam hand cleanser gently cleans your hands, leaving them feeling naturally refreshed. Once you’ve applied the soap, lather your hands by rubbing them together. It’s important to include the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails. Scrub your hands for minimum 20 seconds. This is the step most people skip, as it takes a bit longer. If you need a reminder, try singing the alphabet song in your head. It should take you about 20 seconds and then its time to rinse your hands under clean, running water.
Be sure to dry your hands properly. This step is often skipped or executed poorly but is nearly as important as washing your hands in the first place! Ideally, it’s best to use paper towel like our Cascades PRO. The one-at-a-time dispensing helps minimize cross contamination and waste, while combining value and efficiency.
Checkers takes cleaning seriously and we want you to as well. Contact us today for information about any of our products that can help promote clean hands in your organization.
