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Proper hand-washing first line of defense

-- Charisse Edwards
Minnesota Spokesman–Recorder

Editor's Note:This article originally appeared in the Spokesman–Recorder’s December 20, 2006 issue. It is re-printed with their permission.

Do you always wash your hands before leaving the restroom? After handling raw meat? How about after changing a diaper or blowing your nose?

If your hygiene regimen is lacking in this area, you could be exposing yourself to serious illnesses.

Washing your hands is one of the most important steps in preventing the spread of disease. Millions of germs accumulate on your hands daily, but soap and water can remove and loosen the majority of bacteria that accumulates on your skin.

Cleaning your hands excessively is not always necessary, but there are situations in which you should pay close attention to hand hygiene:

• Each time you use the restroom;
• Petting an animal or handling animal waste;
• Using a public telephone, computer, ATM, and so on;
• Blowing your nose or sneezing or coughing into your hands;
• Changing a diaper;
• Shaking hands with someone;
• Working in or visiting a healthcare facility.

Access to soap and water is not always available, but hand sanitizer is a convenient substitute for people on the go. The product is massaged into the skin like a moisturizer. It does not require rinsing and eliminates a large amount of bacteria on the hands.

Quickly running your hands or fingers under a flow of water is not very effective. Washing your hands properly will decrease the spread of hepatitis, E. coli, Salmonella and a variety of other unpronounceable diseases.

Follow these steps to ensure proper hand cleaning:

• Rigorously wash your hands with soap and water for at least 15 seconds;
• Wash the palms and backs of your hands, under your fingernails and in between your fingers;
• Rinse thoroughly;
• Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet;
• Dry your hands with a paper towel or clean cloth.

After washing your hands in a public restroom, use a paper towel to open the door. This will reduce the risk of your hands becoming contaminated again.

Arianne Nusbaum (AN) resides in Woodbury and works as a nurse. She shared her experience with Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder (MSR) of teaching her son about the importance of hand-washing:

MSR: How important is hand washing in your line of work?

AN: Extremely. I work with newborn infants, and we need to be very careful.

MSR: Are you strict with your family about hand hygiene?

AN: I have talked to my son about the correct way to wash his hands. He had a bad habit of wiping his hands on the sink after washing.

MSR: How contaminated are sinks and toilets?

AN: Sinks, toilets and tubs carry millions of germs. I told my son that wiping his hands on the sink defeats the purpose of washing them.

Diseases can enter the body through the mouth, eyes and nose. We habitually touch our faces without giving it a second thought.

Consider where your hands have been before you rub your eyes or scratch your nose. This is a good habit to form. Share this information with family and friends so they can also begin to decrease the spread of disease.

For more information about the benefits of proper hand washing, visit http://www.mayoclinic.com.

Charisse Edwards welcomes reader responses to spokesman3recorder@yahoo.com