Humans use their hands to touch thousands of objects a day. These include our phones, doorknobs, dirty money, our privates, and so on. We also touch our faces very frequently—up to 15 times every 30 minutes.
Through this contact, infections can spread from our environment into our bodies. These include infections like diarrhoea, hepatitis A & E, and typhoid fever. The easiest and most cost-effective way to avoid catching these diseases is through handwashing.
This post describes simple tips for effective handwashing, as well as the consequences of failing to do so.
Running water and soap are key for effective handwashing
Tips for Good Handwashing
1. Use running water
Running water agitates, displaces, and carries away dirt and germs from hand surfaces. Many people are content to wash their hands in a bowl of water, but this is ineffective; you are simply rolling your hands in the same “muck” you just washed off.
While many homes and institutions may lack pipe-borne water, we must not let this hinder us. Instead, we should innovate.For
example, you can create a simple, portable washbasin consisting of a bucket of water placed on a stand with a tap at the base and a basin below it to trap wastewater. This provides clean, running water for hygiene in any environment.
2. Use soap
While washing with just water is better than nothing, washing with soap is far superior. It removes stains and approximately 99% of germs, even when using non-antibacterial soaps. No handwashing is complete until you have used soap.
3. Use an alcohol-based sanitizer
If your hands are not visibly soiled, you can use a 70% alcohol-based hand sanitizer. This rapidly destroys almost 99% of germs on the hands. However, you should always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
4. Wash up to the elbows
Do not wash your palms only. Your fingers, the spaces between them, and your entire hand down to the elbows should be thoroughly cleaned. This leaves no hiding spots for germs.
5. Wash as the WHO recommends
The World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended a method that ensures we don’t miss any spots. Here’s an image illustrating that. Follow this sequence.
The WHO’s guide on how to wash your hands
6. Dry your hands with a paper towel
Some Nigerians like to dry their newly washed hands with a kitchen napkin or bathroom towel. This just undoes all our meticulous hand washing because these reusable surfaces are accumulating germs from previous times of use which you are now reapplying while attempting to dry your hands. Instead use a paper towel or tissue paper to dry your hands and to close the tap. Then dispose of that paper towel.
When to Wash Your Hands
- Before eating
- After using the toilet
- After sneezing or coughing
- After returning home from an outing *
- After touching bodily fluids
- Before or after caring for the sick
- After touching pets, animals, or animal waste
- After touching biohazards of any sort.
Conclusion
Determine this month to build the healthy habit of washing your hands. It may feel intensive initially, but it will be infinitely rewarding for your health.
Besides handwashing, learn other ways you can be empowered to prevent disease.
