As basic as it may seem, washing your hands frequently with antibacterial soap or liquid hand wash is one of the most effective ways to prevent getting sick.
Even if our hands appear clean, they might carry millions of germs, bacteria, and microorganisms that can cause bacterial and viral infections.
To keep ourselves and everyone else safe from these microbes, we must regularly wash our hands or apply Dettol hand sanitizer without water, eliminating 99.9% of germs.
Proper hand washing protects against germs and reduces the risk of others getting sick. This article will show you how to wash your hands and share its benefits properly.
Proper techniques for hand washing
For effective and efficient hand washing, you need to follow the steps below:
- First, wet your hands with clean running water – the warmer, the better.
- Next, apply anti-bacterial soap on your hands.
- Rub your hands together vigorously – wash your palms, backs, nails, and between the fingers, all the way up to your wrists.
- Perform this action for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse your hands with clean running water again.
- Dry your hands properly with tissue paper or a towel.
Top benefits of proper hand washing
Bacteria accumulate on our hands constantly, so it’s impossible to keep them germ-free. But washing your hands often limits the transfer of germs and has many great benefits.
- Keeping your workplace healthy: Anyone who has ever had a job knows how easily sickness can spread in a workplace environment. Once a co-worker gets sick, it’s not long before everyone else is under the weather. However, proper hand washing by all employees can drastically reduce the likelihood of illness spreading – and even helps with not getting infected in the first place.
- Less food-borne illnesses: Nearly all food-borne illnesses arise from improper hand washing. And this doesn’t just happen in unfamiliar restaurant kitchens. At home, you must also be vigilant about washing your hands with anti-bacterial soap or liquid hand wash for at least 20 seconds before and after meal preparation and serving food.
- Drastically reduces the survival rate of bacteria: Bacteria have been on this planet for billions of years as they are masters of staying alive. So only expect them to simply die off by frequently washing your hands with antibacterial soap and liquid hand wash for at least 20 seconds. In addition, don’t forget to adopt the hand washing techniques we have shared above.
- Helps in preventing the rise in antibiotic resistance: Proper and frequent hand washing can help reduce the likelihood of stomach-related and respiratory illnesses by over 30 percent. In addition, doctors often unnecessarily prescribe antibiotics to fight against infections, which in many cases are caused by viruses, not bacteria.
- Keeps children healthier: Teaching children how to properly wash their hands can drastically reduce the likelihood of various diseases spreading in daycare centers, schools, and at home. Tiny hands come into contact with hundreds of different surfaces and objects daily. Keeping those hands clean and germ-free helps kids, teachers, parents, and everyone stays well!
- Prevents infections through eyes, nose, and mouth: Whether we realize it or not, consciously or unconsciously, we touch our eyes, nose, and mouth multiple times daily. Unfortunately, this leads to dozens of opportunities for germs, bacteria, and viruses to enter our bodies and cause infection. Thorough hand washing reduces the odds that these nasty microbes will make it anywhere near your face.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it. The proper technique for washing your hands and its top benefits. We can guarantee complete and ultimate protection from all germs, bacteria, and viruses by ensuring adequate and effective hand hygiene.
