Hand Washing Tips to Fight Germs

Hand washing is very important to fight germs and help prevent the spread of infections. You should teach your kids at a young age the proper way to wash their hands. Here are some hand washing tips from Mommydocs.com.Please keep in mind that hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the
spread of germs and illnesses. Believe it or not, there is actually a correct
way to wash hands. Follow these steps to help you and your family stay
healthy.

• Wet hands with clean, warm water
• Apply soap (it does not matter whether you choose to use anti-bacterial soap or regular soap, both are proven to be effective when used correctly)
• Lather the soap over the hands and vigorously scrub all aspects of the hands including the fronts and backs of the hands, the wrists, between the fingers, and under the fingernails
• Continue scrubbing for at least 20 seconds (it takes this long to loosen up the germs)Many recommend using a timer or having a young child sing a 20 second song in order to ensure proper length of scrubbing
• Rinse hands with warm, running water to remove all soap
• Dry hands with a clean towel or a paper towel
• If possible, use the towel to turn off the water from the sink, and to open the door (this will help prevent germ contamination to your just washed hands. If the paper towel dispenser is not automatic, be sure to push the lever and get some paper towel out before washing hands. After washing, you will just have to tear off the paper towel and contamination of your clean hands can be avoided.
• Alcohol based hand sanitizers are a great option when soap and running water are not available. Just be sure to use a product which contains at least 60% alcohol. If the hands are soiled (meaning they have dirt or residue on them) then washing with soap and water is the preferred method.
  

Directions for alcohol based hand sanitizers are as follows:
o Apply an appropriate amount of the product to the palm of the hand
o Rub into both hands, being sure to cover all aspects of the hands and
fingers
o Be sure to continue rubbing in the sanitizer until it has completely
disappeared and hands are dry (this is especially true when using on
children). Also, please keep the alcohol based hand sanitizers out of
the reach of children!!

Hands should be washed:

• Before eating meals
• Before, during, and after preparing foods (in particular uncooked meat/chicken/etc.)
• After using the bathroom (both at home and in public restrooms)
• After changing a diaper
• Before serving food
• After going to the store
• As soon as a child arrives home from school or daycare
• After touching pets or any type of animal
• After wiping your nose, coughing/sneezing, or touching the face
• After touching the trash
• After coming in contact with someone who is sick or touching any open areas of skin