The importance of hand hygiene and how to properly wash your hands!

It's really surprising how many people still don't know the proper way to wash their hands. I wonder if it's because they're busy, feeling lazy, or just not interested. But, we should all be aware that our hands carry a lot of harmful bacteria that we don't want to spread. I'm not trying to scare anyone, but it's important to know.

Channel NewsAsia (CNA) carried out an experiment four years ago to demonstrate the amount of bacteria that we come into contact with on a daily basis through simple things we touch. You can check out the YouTube video by clicking on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XG-87yGZK0

Isn't that frightening?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that feces (waste) from both humans and animals contain germs such as Salmonella, E. coli O157, and norovirus, which can result in diarrhea and even spread respiratory infections such as adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease. If these germs are not washed off after coming into contact with hands, they can be transmitted from one person to another, resulting in illnesses. In some cases, it can be fatal.

Link for the article above : https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/why-handwashing.html#:~:text=Germs%20can%20get%20into%20the,conditions%2C%20and%20make%20people%20sick.

Hand washing is recommended in the following situations according to the CDC:

• Before, during, and after food preparation

• Before and after eating

• Before and after caring for someone with vomiting or diarrhea at home

• Before and after treating a cut or wound

• After using the toilet

• After changing a diaper or cleaning up after 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 treats

• After touching garbage

Let's move on to the crucial step - how to correctly wash your hands!

1. Take off any jewelry you might be wearing, so you can clean your hands properly.

2. Turn on the water and wet your hands with it.

3. Get a good amount of soap on your hands and make sure it covers your entire hand surface.

4. Rub your hands together really well, like you're trying to warm them up.

5. Use one hand to clean the back of the other hand and fingers, including between the fingers, then do the same with the other hand.

6. Keep rubbing your hands together, don't forget to clean between your fingers and under your nails.

7. Link your fingers together and rub the tips of your fingers against your palms, also rub the backs of your fingers against the opposite palm.

8. Use one hand to clean the thumb of the other hand and vice versa.

9. Clean the tips of your fingers by rubbing them against your other palm.

10. Rinse your hands well with water, making sure all the soap is washed off.

11. Dry your hands thoroughly using a disposable towel, making sure to dry all parts of your hands.

If you're finding it tough to read and perform the steps, don't worry! You can simply watch this video on YouTube that demonstrates the process and follow along with it.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=seA1wbXUQTs

To be even more cautious, I personally use an alcohol-based sanitizer to make sure there are no germs left behind. I'm a bit of a clean freak and really can't stand germs.

I hope my first blog post has encouraged you to wash your hands at the appropriate times and in the correct way.