Hand washing(hygiene) – steps and importance

Why is hand washing crucial?

Many a time, it is the smallest of things that make a mighty difference. Likewise, hand washing is one simple procedure that guards you against many health issues, most of which you are not aware of.  

There is a plethora of highly contagious diseases; that is, they spread from one person to another. An appropriate washing of your hands can prevent many gastrointestinal diseases and respiratory infections, including the novel coronavirus infection.  

Hand washing either with soap and water or using hand sanitisers kill the germs that may transmit infections from one person to another.  

Hand washing not only helps in killing the germs on your hands but also stops their spread. Hand washing is not just exposing your hands to water.  

It is more than that. You need to know when to wash your hands and how to wash your hands.  

How do germs spread? 

Before learning hand washing steps, it is better to know how germs spread. This will signify the importance of handwashing.  

Germs are tiny living organisms that have the potential to cause diseases. Germs include bacteria, viruses and fungi, among others.  

As far as hand washing is concerned, it is crucial to know how unwashed hands make it easy for them to spread. Germs spread when you:

• Touch your face, mouth or nose with unclean hands
• Cook or eat food items without washing your hands
• Touch anything that is contaminated
• Touch any objects, places or other people without washing hands after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing  

It is evident that proper handwashing has the potential to kill the germs and put an end to their spread.  

When to wash your hands?

Throughout the day, we perform a lot of things that may involve both indoor and outdoor tasks. Over time, we tend to accumulate germs through any means. You can’t keep your hands germ-free all the time.

But washing your hands at the right time helps you avoid getting infected. Make sure to wash your hands before and after:

• Preparing your food
• Eating your food
• Touching any objects in a public area such as doorknobs, railings, etc.
• Treating the open wounds or cuts
• Helping out sick persons
• Placing or removing contact lenses
• Changing the diapers of the child  
• Handling the foods of your pet

Wash your hands after:

• Toilet using
• Touching the animal such as cats or dogs
• Sneezing and coughing
• Blowing your nose
• Smoking
• Handling garbage materials
• Reaching home from outside
• Using public transportation
• Handling money or receipts
• Returning from hospitals, labs or other healthcare places

How to wash your hands?

Many of us know the importance of handwashing but do not know the right way to do it. Certain handwashing steps give you maximum protection from possible infections.  

You can also find handwashing infographics and clip arts that portray visual information on how to do it on the internet.  

Let’s check out the steps that you can follow for proper handwashing:

• First, wet your hands with running water
• Do not use stagnant water for this purpose
• Apply a considerable amount of soap or washing gel on hands and spread it gently
• Rub your palms against each other in a circular motion
• Now interlace your fingers and move them back and forth
• Rub the back of your palms and fingernails
• Clasp your fingers with opposite arm individually
• Do not forget to spread the soap to your wrists and rub them
• After this, rinse your hands with clean running water
• Make sure to turn off the tap using a towel or tissue paper without touching it directly
• Now dry your hands with a towel or tissue paper
• You can also use hot air driers, if available

Impart these handwashing techniques to your family members. In this time of the pandemic, we need to be aware of these things that are very effective in fighting the infection.  

What is the significance of handwashing with sanitisers? 

Hand sanitisers are becoming more convenient to keep your hands germ-free. The hand sanitiser does not require soap and water.  

Many of us may think that we should wash our hands after applying hand sanitisers. But you do not have to wash your hands after applying it.  

Hand sanitiser is not a replacement for handwashing with water and soap, as hand washing is more effective than using sanitisers. However, hand sanitisers come in handy for frequent cleaning of your hands that can kill germs.  

When you buy hand sanitisers, make sure to get alcohol-based products as they are more effective in combating germs.  

How to practice handwashing among kids?

Hand washing is a practice every kid has to get used to. You can make this handwashing exercise interesting as a parent, caregiver, or teacher.

Make kids sing a song while washing their hands. If the song is too short, make them sing it twice.  

You can also write rhyming words about the benefits of handwashing in a funny way so that the kids will not feel this exercise is mundane.  

Using funny soaps that depict any cartoon characters or some figures will encourage them towards hand washing. You can also reward kids every time they wash their hands successfully.  

To sum up

It is only in times of pandemic that we come to know the importance of handwashing. But its benefits are not only restricted to the covid outbreak.  

With proper handwashing, we can prevent the occurrence of many diseases. Moreover, more than a practice, hand washing can become a habit if it is imparted at a young age.  

With just 30 to 40 seconds of washing practice, we can protect ourselves from many preventable diseases.  

To spread handwashing awareness, the global handwashing day is observed worldwide on October 15. This shows the scale of handwashing importance.