Did you know that our hands harbor thousands of germs? Around 1,500 per square centimeter of skin, to be exact. Some examples include Staphylococcus epidermidis, corynebacteria, and propinonibacteria.
While some microbes are harmless, some can lead to serious illness. For instance, streptococcus pneumoniae can cause meningitis, which can be serious if not treated.
That’s not all, viruses such as influenza and coronavirus can also live on the skin for several hours. Take the novel coronavirus, for example, it can live on human skin for up to nine hours.
Not only that but the hands can also harbor fungi and other microorganisms.
The worse part is that you can pick up these germs almost anywhere. For example, they can spread to your hands if you touch a contaminated object such as a doorknob that has been coughed or sneezed on.
Not washing your hands after using the bathroom can also contaminate your hands with health-wrecking bacteria. And if you touch something afterward, those germs will transfer onto the object, where it’ll get picked up by the next person who touches it.
That’s why it’s so important to practice good hand hygiene. If anything, it’s the easiest way to prevent the spread of illness. Not only will it keep you from getting sick, but it’ll protect those around you as well.
Remember, just because your hands look clean, doesn’t mean that they actually are. After all, germs aren’t visible to the naked eye.
Diseases That You Can Prevent By Washing Your Hands
A number of diseases can be prevented simply by washing your hands- the COVID-19 virus being one example. How much of a difference can it make? According to one study, proper handwashing at airports can reduce the risk of a pandemic by up to 69 percent.
Other diseases that can be prevented with proper hand hygiene include the flu, norovirus, pink eye, mononucleosis, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, staph, hepatitis A, strep throat, RSV, and the common cold.
How Often Should You Wash Your Hands?
There isn’t a magic number when it comes to hand washing. Rather, it depends on what you do during the day. For example, if you work in the kitchen, you’ll want to wash your hands more often since you’re dealing with food.
Those who use the bathroom more often will also wash their hands more frequently than the average person.
There are also situations where you should wash always your hands. For example, you should always wash your hands before and after caring for a sick person, eating food, or touching an object that’s frequently touched by other people (e.g. handrails, door handles, shopping carts).
Not only that but you always want to wash your hands after touching an animal, using the toilet, handling garbage, sneezing, coughing, blowing your nose, or handling garbage.
And of course, you want to wash your hands when they’re greasy or visibly dirty.
The Proper Way to Wash Your Hands
Rubbing your hands together for a few seconds won’t do you any good if you’re trying to get rid of germs. That’s right, there’s a specific way to clean your hands if you want to avoid getting sick.
And you only need two things- warm water and soap.
Start by wetting your hands with clean, running water. Once they’re wet, apply soap- one or two pumps should suffice. From there, you want to create a lather by rubbing your hands together; that will create friction, which will help to remove microbes, dirt, and grease from the skin.
Be sure to get the backs of your hands, under your nails, and between your fingers.
Continue to rub your hands for at least 20 seconds- that’s the amount of time you need to hum “Happy Birthday” twice. Studies have shown that that removes more germs compared to washing your hands for shorter periods.
After scrubbing, rinse your hands under clean, running water. Turn the faucet off and dry your hands with a clean paper towel. You don’t want to leave your hands wet as germs transfer more easily to and from wet surfaces, including skin.