Washing your hands frequently with soap and water: Who would have thought that something so simple could be so fundamental to disease control?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, washing hands was often a crucial step to reduce the risk of getting and spreading the virus. But healthcare providers and public health officials have long known the importance of handwashing in stopping the spread of diseases and maintaining good health.
The steps are simple enough, but the health benefits are amazing:
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Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
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Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
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Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
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Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
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Turn off the faucet with a paper towel or your elbow.
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Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.
Washing your hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.
Washing your hands with soap is known to be a highly effective and cost-efficient way to prevent diseases such as diarrhea and acute respiratory infections. For example, pneumonia and diarrhea are estimated to kill almost 3.5 million children each year worldwide. Proper handwashing has been shown to reduce child deaths from diarrhea by 30% and from respiratory infections by 21% in children under 5 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When should you wash your hands? Basically, any time you may have encountered germs that can cause diseases:
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Before, during, and after preparing food
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Before and after eating food
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Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
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Before and after treating a cut or wound
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After using the toilet
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After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
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After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
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After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
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After handling pet food or pet treats
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After touching garbage
The Virginia Department of Health has several handwashing educational resources available to the general public on its website.