Hand washing is Important for Staying Away from Diseases

If You Have Clean Hands You are Unlikely to Catch a Lot of Diseases

According to a study by the Michigan State University, only one in five people wash their hands correctly after using the bathroom. The research also says that a majority of the subjects were still carrying infection causing germs in the form of fecal matter on their hands even when they claimed they had done their cleaning!

Distressing as these results might be, this study is perhaps a wakeup call for everyone to pay more attention to the simple yet extremely significant act of cleaning hands. So, let’s perfect hand washing and learn more about some common mistakes we commit unknowingly while doing so.

The Recommended Way of Washing Hands

The Centers for Disease Control suggests that the optimal method to clean your hands is:

1. Wet them with water.
2. Use a good hand wash
3. Lather up well with soap and water.
4. Vigorously rub palms and fingers together, making sure you reach all corners and crevices. Do this for at least 15 seconds.
5. Rinse and let the hand completely dry.

How Much Time is Enough?

Most people ignore the stipulated time and end up rushing hand washing within 6-7 seconds on an average, thereby missing the nooks and crannies like between the fingers or under the nails, where the germs comfortably hide and survive. Hence, it is advised to properly clean all the areas, spending about 15-20 seconds.

Drying Hands with Paper Towel vs Hand Dryer

It is a fact worth considering that bacteria multiply faster on wet skin, as compared to dry skin. So, it is important that hands are completely dry before touching any other object. Studies observing the bacteria count and the time taken to dry have revealed that due to the friction involved in paper towel drying, which removes more gunk, it is much more efficient than hand dryers, which typically take 45 seconds and even then leave the hands more wet than a paper towel.

Phones are Breeding Grounds for Germs

Since mobile devices remain warm, they become suitable homes for various types of bacteria and viruses. A study by Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials says that 94.5% of the studied phones were infected and transferred 30% of the germs to the user's hands on contact. So, cleaning phones with alcohol based cleaners is recommended.

Is Hand Sanitizing a Good Substitute for Hand Washing?

Hand sanitizing is suitable for situations where soap and water are unavailable. It isn't as effective for hands that are visibly soiled. Moreover, sanitizing hands is a preferable action to avoid excessive drying of hands due to aggressive washing with soap. However, it is important to use reliable products, such as hand sanitizer or antibacterial wipes, which are created to provide protection against a wide variety of germs.