Handwashing is a indispensable factor against disease prevention. We hear this over and again through time, but sadly only a few take this to heart. And so, each year, tens of thousands of children die from diarrhea, intestinal parasites and respiratory tract infections – all of which are highly preventable with proper handwashing.
As we celebrate Global Handwashing Day (Official GHD was actually yesterday, October 15), let us remind ourselves these three keys in effective handwashing:
1. FRICTION
Proper handwashing involves friction. When you scrub too gently, you’re probably not ridding the hands of dirt and germs (This is true. It came out during the Nursing Licensure Exams in ’07 :)). Rub your hands against each other with enough force, including the areas between the fingers and under your fingernails.
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| This girl knows her stuff: Wash also the area under the fingers. |
2. FREQUENCY
Remember to wash your hands (or your kid’s’) during these times:
- Before eating
- Before handling food
- After toilet use
- After handling your pets
- After playtime
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| Always tell the kids to wash hands after playtime. |
In my case, I also wash during food preparation and while cooking. I do in-between washings such as after I touch raw meat, another before touching the veggies and so on (Rachel Ray recommends the same). And I wash double after cleaning my pets’ litter. Triple even, when I was pregnant as we had cats and I was afraid of the possibility of toxoplasmosis being passed on to my then unborn kid.
3. DURATION
Did you know that total disinfection occurs only about a minute to two into handwashing (learned this back in Parasitology class in college)? This is equivalent to two full Happy Birthday songs in normal tempo.
If you think that’s too long, you should know that doctors and nurses scrubs their hands and arms with a hard-bristled brush for about 2-3 minutes prior to surgeries to ensure sterility.
Yes, handwashing can be a tedious thing to do. But it saves lives. It keeps families out of hospitals and minimizes medical bills. Wouldn’t you be willing to spare two minutes to get all that?
Let’s make everyday Global Handwashing Day!
Thank you for this reminder… gee… I'm not an OC mommy kasi… sometimes I can be forgetful…
You're welcome, Nova 🙂 Ya, I guess we all have our little forgetful moments as moms 🙂
It is very well said that "Prevention is better than cure" one must take care germs in their like washing of hand after playing after using toilet and before eating and many more.
Thanks for the useful tips for taking care of hands.
Very much welcome! 🙂