Today’s topic is simple and familiar. We are going to talk about washing hands – the very fundamental skill we learn in our early childhood from our parents. We all know how to do this, so let’s just get it over with.
Ok, so it takes about one minute to wash your hands properly… What? It doesn’t? Well, it looks like someone needs a refresher course in personal hygiene. I am referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for this. A proper process for washing hands is:
- Make them wet.
- Apply plenty of soap. I mean really make it all go fluffy and foamy all over your hands.
- Scrub for at least 20 seconds and make sure to scrub absolutely everywhere: palms, backs of hands, between your fingers and UNDER YOUR NAILS.
- Rinse well under clean running water.
- Dry with a clean towel.
There are certain occasions when proper hand washing technique is especially important. In the end, if your hands are sticky with some jam that you scrubbed off the bottom of a jar, a simple rinse will suffice. However, the following situations call for you to be fully present when washing hands:
- After handling raw meats
- After playing with or touching animals
- After using a toilet, changing diapers or helping your kids with their toilet needs
- After dealing with sick or injured people
- Same for animals
- After handling garbage or chemicals
- After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing while covering your face with your hands
- After shaking hands with other people
- After visiting a SUPERMARKET, PUBLIC TRANSPORT and other high traffic public spaces
- Before preparing food
- Before eating
- Before tending to wounds or sick people
- Before inserting your contact lenses, picking your nose and picking your teeth (most of these you can do without 🙂 )
Most of those colds you catch during winter are caused by viruses that you yourself administer by touching your face and food after picking the germs up somewhere in a public place. It is so easy to avoid this unnecessary aggravation. Peace!