Blast those Bacteria (and Viruses)

One of the best ways to prevent spreading disease causing bacteria and viruses is by regularly cleaning your hands. The two hand-cleaning methods recommended by the Centers for Disease Control are washing with soap and water or using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. While hand washing is the preferred method doing so may be inconvenient which is why alcohol based cleansers are recommended as an alternative.

According to the CDC, only 74% of women and 61% of men wash their hands regularly. Regularly is a somewhat ambiguous term, and so here is a short list of examples for when to wash your hands:

o Before eating.
o Before, during, and after handling or preparing food.
o After contact with blood or body fluids (like vomit, nasal secretions, or saliva).
o After you use the bathroom.
o After handling animals.
o After contacting an object that could be contaminated (such as a trash can, cleaning cloth, drain, or dirt).
o Before treating an open wound
o Before giving medicine or inserting contact lenses.
o More often when someone you are in close contact with is sick.
o Whenever they look dirty.

Proper hand washing technique is just as important as regular washing. To make it easy, there are a few basic steps to follow in order to ensure you are cleaning your hands properly:

1. Wet your hands and apply liquid, bar, or powder soap.
2. Rub hands together vigorously to make lather and scrub all surfaces.
3. Continue scrubbing for 20 seconds, it takes that long for the soap and scrubbing action to dislodge and remove stubborn germs.
4. Rinse hands well under running water.
5. Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer.
6. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.
7. (If washing with soap and water is not available, using an alcohol-based sanitizer is an appropriate alternative)