The when and how of handwashing in honor of World Hand Hygiene Day
In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) established May 5 as World Hand Hygiene Day—a day to remind people across the globe of the importance of handwashing in healthcare settings and to bring people together in support of good hand hygiene practices.
As part of the campaign to keep patients safe in healthcare settings, WHO established the “Five Moments for Hand Hygiene,” a framework highlighting evidence-based hand hygiene practices. Patients, their families and visitors should expect the healthcare team to wash their hands:
- Before touching a patient.
- Before aseptic tasks, which involve touching sterile equipment or a patient’s sterile site.
- After body fluid exposure or risk of exposure.
- After touching a patient.
- After touching a patient’s surroundings, such as bed rails, chairs or doorknobs.
Following this framework helps prevent the spread of germs and reduces the risk of healthcare-associated infections.
Handwashing, especially at those pivotal times and in the right way, is one of the most important measures to keep patients and healthcare workers safe and healthy.
Even if you’re not a healthcare worker or in a healthcare setting, handwashing is a simple, powerful practice that can help keep you, your family and others healthy. You can help curb the spread of disease by washing your hands:
- After using the bathroom.
- Before and after preparing and eating food.
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- Before and after treating a cut or wound.
- After touching animals and their food or waste.
- After touching or handling garbage.
While not an exhaustive list of all the times you should wash your hands, these are just some of the key occasions for good hand hygiene.
It’s also important that I share the proper, five-step method for handwashing to ensure you have clean hands:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water and apply soap.
- Rub your hands together to make a lather. Scrub the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
- Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse your hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel and use the towel to turn off the faucet.
We know that germs are everywhere and can transfer from doorknobs, tables, grocery carts, toys and other objects throughout the day, so that is where alcohol-based hand sanitizers (with at least 60 percent alcohol) come in very handy. Unless your hands are visibly soiled, you can use hand sanitizer by following these steps:
- Apply the sanitizer to the palm of your hand.
- Rub your hands together.
- Rub the sanitizer over all surfaces of your hands and fingers and continue rubbing until your hands are dry.
Share this information with your family, especially any children so they can do their part in keeping themselves, their friends and the family safe and healthy.