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Proper hand washing has proven to be the most effective way to protect yourself against viruses, staph infections, colds and even food contamination, but many people still don't wash their hands or don't wash them properly. Improving hand hygiene can stop the spread of germs and illnesses. LSU AgCenter researcher Dr. Fatemeh Malekian shares six steps for proper hand washing to keep you healthy:
- Wet your hands and wrists with warm running water (100 degrees F or 38 C).
- Apply soap.
- Place your right palm over the left palm and rub vigorously, scrubbing and cleaning hands and wrists for at least 20 seconds. Make sure to clean between fingers, around cuticles and under fingernails.
- Rinse under warm running water (100 F or 38 C).
- Dry hands and wrists with single-use paper towel or paper napkin. It is OK to air dry your hands when towels are not available.
- Use the paper towel to turn off the facet and to open the door.
The total time for proper hand washing is 25-30 seconds.
Hand washing is a low cost, easy habit that can keep you healthy.
Remember to wash your hands:
- after sneezing and coughing
- while cooking or preparing food
- before eating
- after using the restroom
- after changing a baby's diaper
- before and after treating a cut
- after playing with an animal or handling animal waste
- before and after caring for someone who is sick
Hand washing prevents:
- Ingestion and absorption of harmful substances
- Flu-like symptoms
- Colds and pneumonia
- Hepatitis A infection
- MRSA: staph infection
- Diarrhea and intestinal disorders
- Food-borne illnesses and contamination
- Pink eye
- Strep throat
If soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand sanitizers should be used to clean your hands. When using these sanitizers, the amount needed to clean hands varies, so rub the product over all surfaces of your fingers and hands until they are dry.
Sources: Center for Disease Control, Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention (CCEHIP)
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