The Soapy Truth About Handwashing
Hand-washing is a simple and effective way to help prevent diseases, such as coronavirus, colds and flu.
Wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food to reduce your risk of catching or spreading bacteria that cause food poisoning. Be especially careful to wash before and after preparing poultry, raw eggs, meat, or seafood.
- Before and after you care for someone who is sick. It’s also important to wash your hands before and after you treat a cut or wound.
- Before you eat.
Wash your hands after:
- Touching parts of your body that are not clean.
- Using the bathroom.
- Coughing, sneezing, or using a handkerchief or disposable tissue.
- Handling or preparing foods, especially after touching raw meat, poultry, fish, shellfish or eggs.
- Touching an animal, animal waste, pet food or pet treats.
- Changing diapers, handling garbage, using the phone or shaking hands.
Proper hand-washing
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following steps for hand-washing:
- Wet your hands with running water and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather. Scrub well for at least 20 seconds.
- Pay special attention to your wrists, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
- Rinse your hands well under running water.
- Use a clean towel to dry your hands, or air-dry your hands.
You may want to leave the water running while you dry your hands on a paper towel. Then use the paper towel as a barrier between the faucet and your clean hands when you turn off the water.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer or alcohol-based hand wipe that contains at least 60% ethyl alcohol or isopropanol. Carry one or both with you when you travel, and keep them in your car or purse. These products can help reduce the number of germs on your hands, but they do not get rid of all types of germs.
If you use sanitizer, rub your hands and fingers until they are dry. You don’t need to use water. The alcohol quickly kills many types of germs on your hands.
