These days, with the coronavirus lurking in every corner of our lives, washing our hands (and using the proper hand washing techniques) is more important than ever. But sometimes, you need a reminder of what you ought to do.
That’s where hand washing posters come in handy. Here’s a review of why and how to wash your hands correctly and why hand washing posters come in handy.
Why It’s Important to Wash Your Hands
Remember being a kid, when your parents always told you to go wash up before dinner? As an adult, we no longer have our parents telling us to wash up before dinner, but we’re still told to wash our hands, especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
Why do we clean our hands?
For one thing, there are several benefits to washing our hands–and the importance of washing our hands cannot be overstated in light of the pandemic.
Why Do We Wash Our Hands?
First, the basic question. Why do we wash our hands? And why is it so important to wash our hands correctly?
In the words of a chemistry professor at the University of New South Wales, soap is a modern marvel, almost like a demolition team breaking down a building and taking all the bricks away. Soap is a common phrase for amphiphiles or molecules with a dual nature–one side is attracted to water and repelled by fats and proteins, the other is attracted to fats and proteins and repelled by water.
This dual nature is what allows soap to break apart oil and water. Oil floats in water because fats don’t mix with water. When you add soap, the fat-loving side is attracted to the grease, but then it tears up the grease by attracting water with the molecule’s water-loving side. This disintegrates the fat molecules.
Now, let’s say you have a virus you want to disintegrate. Fortunately for us, a virus (like the coronavirus, for example) is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer.
When soap encounters a virus, the fat-loving side of the molecule buries itself in the fat and protein shell. Luckily, the chemical bonds holding the virus shell together aren’t very strong, so this intrusion is enough to break the virus shell. This renders the virus soluble in water and it disintegrates into inactive shards which can then be washed down the drain.
In other words, soap literally breaks viruses apart, making it the perfect candidate to protect your health. And while hand sanitizers can achieve the same effect, they’re harsher on the skin and you need a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol (not all hand sanitizers meet this standard).
Effective Hand Washing Steps
However, there is a correct procedure to follow when washing your hands–and it is critical that you follow instructions on the proper way to wash hands. Soap is pretty tough stuff, but if you don’t wash your hands the correct way, it won’t have enough time or opportunity to do its job.
Here’s the correct order of hand washing recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The Correct Way to Wash Your Hands
The CDC has five simple steps for correct hand washing:
- Wet
- Lather
- Scrub
- Rinse
- Dry
First, wet your hands with clean running water. It doesn’t matter if it’s warm or cold. Then turn off the tap and apply soap.
Second, lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Make sure to lather your palms, your fingers, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
Third, scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Soap needs some time to break apart the molecules it encounters, and this will ensure everywhere you scrub is properly demolished (molecularly speaking).
Fourth, rinse your hands under clean running water.
Finally, dry your hands using a clean towel.
If you need a more thorough guide, our twelve steps break it down further:
- Wet your hands
- Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces
- Rub hands together palm to palm
- Put your right palm over your left dorsum (back of the hand) with interlaced fingers to scrub between your fingers, then switch sides
- Scrub your hands together palm-to-palm with fingers interlaced
- Rub the backs of your fingers to the opposing palms
- Rub each thumb clasped in the opposite hand
- Rub the tips of your fingers into the opposite palm in a circular motion
- Rinse your hands with water
- Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel
- Use the towel to turn off the faucet
- Et voila: your hands are now safe and clean!
Whatever you use, just make sure to wash your hands!
How Long Should You Wash Your Hands?
As previously noted, you should wash your hands for at least 20 to 30 seconds. This will ensure the soap molecules have enough time to break apart any germs on your hands.
You can count it out or set a timer if needed. A tried-and-true way to make sure you hit the right number is by singing the “Happy Birthday” song at normal speed two times. Parodies on the traditional birthday singalong (i.e. the “You live in a zoo” version) also work, as does the Batman smells version of “Jingle Bells” (after all, you can only sing the same song so many times before you start losing your marbles).
If you’re tired of singing for a birthday that never comes or a holiday that definitely isn’t here yet, try these song choruses instead (popular options include “Raspberry Beret” by Prince or “Jolene” by Dolly Parton).
When Should You Wash Your Hands?
Washing your hands often is always a good idea, but there are certain critical moments when you should always wash your hands:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating (remember your parents telling you to wash up?)
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- After using the toilet
- After changing a baby’s diaper
- After cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose
- After coughing
- After sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal food, or animal waste
- After handling pet food and pet treats
- After touching garbage
In addition, it’s also a good idea during these pandemic times to wash your hands anytime you come back into your household after going outside or handling anything that was handled by someone outside your household. This also applies anytime you go from one location to another–be a good neighbor and keep it clean.
And the rules of courteous and sanitary hand washing often apply at work.
Hand Washing Posters
The question is, how do you remember every time you need to wash your hands, or the proper procedure to wash your hands?
This is where a hand hygiene poster and hand washing signs come in handy. When you need a simple reminder, all you need to do is turn to a wash your hands poster on the wall or set next to the sink.
We offer two posters reminding you of the proper hand washing procedure: one 8 1/2 x 11 poster and a larger 11 x 17 poster to get the point across. If you’re looking for a workplace reminder, check out our hand washing reminder sign.
Looking for Outstanding Hand Washing Posters?
We know that during these difficult times, we need all the support we can get. And that applies down to the smallest details–including hand washing. That’s why we’re here to help keep your people safe.
Click here to check out our available safety signs, and don’t forget to wash your hands!