Use This Guide To Wash Your Hands like a Pro
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued 8 “basic protective measures against the new coronavirus (COVID-19).”
Wash Your Hands Frequently
Maintain Social Distancing (6 feet apart)
Avoid Touching Eyes, Nose and Mouth
Practice Respiratory Hygiene (Sneeze into bent elbow)
If you have a fever, cough or difficulty breathing, seek medical care early
Stay Informed
Follow advice given by your healthcare provider
Follow your state’s stay-at-home policies
In this article, we are covering Measure #1. This guide details recommendations set forth by the WHO, Mayo Clinic and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for correct hand-washing.
The Top 3 Sources of Germ Exposure
The WHO states, “Studies suggest Coronaviruses like the COVID-19 virus may persist on surfaces for a few hours or up to several days.” We expose ourselves to germs, bacteria, viruses and other microbes by touching:
People
Surfaces
Objects
Why Wash Your Hands?
“Hands touch many surfaces and can pick up viruses. Once contaminated, hands can transfer the virus to your eyes, nose or mouth. From there, the virus can enter your body and can make you sick.” (WHO)
When Should I Wash My Hands?
The CDC recommends, “you should be washing your hands often, with the exact number depending on the activities you do throughout the day. If you take out the trash, pick up your pet’s waste or change a diaper, you should wash your hands. You need to wash your hands before, during and after preparing food and definitely before eating.”
Wash your hands before:
Preparing or eating food
Treating wounds
Caring for a sick person
Touching your face
Inserting or removing contact lenses
Wash your hands after:
Preparing food
Using the toilet
Changing a diaper
Touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
Blowing your nose
Cough or sneezing
Treating wounds
Caring for a sick person
Handling garbage
When your hands are visibly dirty
How to Wash Your Hands Like a Pro
John Hopkins Medicine video-illustrates correct hand washing below using the WHO Technique:
The WHO says this process should take 20 seconds or about as long as it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. Below, I included hand-washing instructions from the County of Los Angeles Public Health which helped me better learn the WHO technique:
Hand Washing Guide
Wash your hands with running water and soap for at least 20 seconds.
The water should be running. Moving water helps remove germs. Standing water allows dirt and germs that were washed off to get back onto your hands.
Your hands should be under the stream of water so the front and back, and as far up as your wrists as possible, get wet.
The water should be comfortable to the touch. If the water is too hot, you can burn yourself. If it is too cold, the dirt and germs may not get washed off.
Get Soap all over your hands
Include the fronts and backs of your hands and as far up your wrists as you can get.
You can use any kind of soap.
Take your hands out from under the water and rub your hands together to make a lather. Do this for at least 20 seconds.
The lather should cover the front and back of your hands and your wrists.
Work hard on the areas between the fingers and under the nails where the dirt hides.
You can use a sponge or cloth to help the dirt get off, but do not use the same cloth or sponge to wash more than one person’s hands. Wash sponges or cloths regularly.
Rinse your hands.
The water should run back into the sink, not down your arms.
Dry your hands completely, using a clean towel.
Use new paper towels or air dryers.
And yours hands are clean, just don’t forget your fingernails! Paul Suits, director of Infection Control at Upstate Medical University tells us, “you can carry up to millions of bacteria on your hands everyday depending on your hand hygiene. And people tend to forget about their fingernails.”
Clean Hands Protect Your Health
On hand-washing, the WHO recommends:
Use soap and water, or alchohol-based hand rub kills viruses that may be on your hands
Clean your hands regularly for 20 seconds
Dry your hands thoroughly after washing
How to Use Hand Sanitizer Correctly
We’ve covered how to use soap and water, now let’s look at the correct use of hand sanitizers. On Hand Sanitizers, the Mayo Clinic states, “Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which do not require water, are an acceptable alternative when soap and water aren’t available. If you use a hand sanitizer, make sure the product contains at least 60% alcohol.”
Follow these steps to use correctly:
Apply the product to your the palm of one hand. Check the label to find out the appropriate amount.
Rub your hands together.
Rub the product over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry.
Can Kids Use Hand Sanitizer?
The Mayo Clinic allows children to use hand sanitizer. Their recommendation, “be sure to supervise young children using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Swallowing alcohol-based sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning. Store the container safely away after use.”
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Can You Make DIY Sanitizer?
Public Health Authorizes such as the FDA do not recommend you make your hand sanitizer for 3 reasons:
Not Safe - May be too harsh for human skin
Not Allowed - The public does not have access to pharmacy-grade ingredients
Not Effective - Home-mixtures cannot control how the alcohol gets diluted, making it ineffective to kill germs.
The WHO has released an official guide to making DIY hand sanitizer, but it is intended for populations that do not have access to clean water or other medical grade products in place.”
Key Notes from the Article
Health agencies tell us to…
Wash our hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer for 20 seconds
Avoid touching your face
Practice Social Distancing of 3-6 feet
Follow your state’s stay-at-home policies
Hand Washing…
Easy way to prevent infection
Follow the Mayo Clinic’s Before and After recommendations
Use Soap and Water, or Hand Sanitizer containing 60% alcohol
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Thank you for taking the time to read this article, please contact us with any questions to stay clean and calm during these strange and uncertain times.
To your health,
Greenlife Organics