Proper Hand washing Procedures & Techniques

Proper Hand Washing: Importance, Uses and Procedure

Importance of Proper Handwashing

“Soap and water and common sense are the best disinfectants.”–Sir William Osler, Canadian physician and one of the four founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital. We touch in daily life many more things whether knowing or being unknown, those may contain pathogenic germs (microorganisms or vectors). That’s why, the Proper hand washing is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases like typhoid, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera etc and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. If clean, running water is not accessible, as is common in many parts of the world, use soap and available water. If even soap and water are unavailable, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

Uses of Proper Hand Washing

We have to wash our hands in following situations.

General purposes

Before, during, and after preparing food
Before eating food
After playing the game
Before and after caring for someone who is sick
Before and after treating a cut or wound
After using the toilet
After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
After touching an animal its feed or waste
After handling pet food or pet treats
After touching garbage

Medical concern

Before touching a patient
Before clean /aseptic procedure
after body fluid exposure risk
After touching a patient
After touching patient surrounding
Before and after performing laboratory tests

General purpose

Washing hands under running water

Wet your hands with clean, running water no matter whether warm or cold, turn off the tap, and apply soap.
Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.
Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Medical Concern of Proper Hand Washing

Six Steps

Rub hands palm to palm.
Right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa
Palm to palm with fingers interlaced
Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.
Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa
Rotational rubbing backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa.

In the absence of soap and clean, running water:use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them in most situations. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs and might not remove harmful chemicals.

Hand sanitizers are not as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
Procedure of hand sanitizer
Apply the product to the palm of one hand.Rub your hands together.Rub the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry.

Precaution

Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning, therefore Keep it out of reach of young children.

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