How To Properly Wash Your Hands: The Good, The Bad And The Dirty

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You would think that washing your hands after using the restroom or before eating would be a pretty basic hygiene practice, right? Well, think again. According to the 2018 Healthy Hand Washing Survey conducted by Bradley Corp in January, just two-thirds of the respondents say they “always” wash their hands after using a public restroom. Thirty-eight percent report they “frequently” see others leave a public restroom without washing.

Those are pretty alarming and disturbing statistics. In fact, they’re scary enough to leave us in a lather! Hand washing is an integral and key component of healthy living, especially this time of year, and especially in the workplace where the flu virus can run rampant.

So here’s the dirt on when to wash up and how to do it the right way. According to the Centers for Disease and Prevention Control (CDC), you should ALWAYS wash your hands . . .

  • Before, during and after preparing food
  • Before eating food
  • Before and after caring for someone who is sick
  • Before and after treating a cut or wound
  • After using the toilet
  • After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
  • After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
  • After touching garbage

Now that we know when to wash up, what’s the best way to do it? Basically you can keep your hands squeaky clean with these 5 simple steps from the CDC:

  1. WET your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap and apply soap.
  2. LATHER your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
  3. SCRUB your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
  4. RINSE your hands well under clean, running water.
  5. DRY your hands using a clean towel or air-dry them.

Check out this video to see this hand washing plan in action!

Do you need help maintaining a healthy work environment for yourself and your employees? If so, give us a call or CLICK HERE to contact us. Buildingstars’ comprehensive cleaning solutions create cleaner, healthier workplaces and let you focus on the most important aspects of your business.