There are several times of the day when you should be sure to wash your hands. This includes after using the bathroom, before and after you prepare food, after blowing your nose or sneezing or coughing, and if your hands become visibly dirty. You should be extra careful to wash your hands thoroughly and more frequently if you or someone in your home is ill.
The medical community and other professionals have been taught how to properly wash their hands, though this often does not trickle down to home life. Here is the proper way to wash your hands so that the bacteria and germs go down the drain.
Start by wetting your hands. Then apply soap. Liquid or bar soap is totally a matter of personal preference, though bar soap should be stored in a container that drains to prevent bacteria growth. Work up lather with the soap, and then scrub them thoroughly from fingertips to the wrist. The top place for bacteria to survive, and also the place most frequently missed when washing your hands, is the thumb and the space between your thumb and the top of our wrist. Pay special attention to this area. A scrub brush can be particularly helpful to clean underneath your finger nails.
You will want to continue scrubbing for 20 seconds. For kids, singing a couple of verses of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” or “Happy Birthday” can help them to keep track of the time to make sure that they wash long enough. When the time is up, make sure to rinse your hands well to make sure that all of the dirt and bacteria goes down the drain. Dry your hands with a paper towel (cloth towels can harbor germs), and throw it away.
Turning off the water faucets with a paper towel is also a good idea. When using a public restroom, this is almost a must. You can also use a paper towel to open the restroom door to leave. You do not want all of the work you put into washing your hands to go to waste by touching a dirty bathroom door handle that is contaminated by a previous restroom occupant.
Wipe down your faucets, toilet, and bathroom door handles with disinfectant daily. This will help to prevent the spread of MRSA and other infectious and contagious diseases.
For older children, having hand washing signs posted in the bathroom can help them to remember to wash their hands. There are several printable resources online on hand washing, including kid friendly posters and hand washing accessories. Younger children should always be supervised during hand washing until you are certain that they have the routine down.