Handwashing is one of the most effective and important means of controlling the spread of germs. Vigorously scrubbing with soap and running water for 20-30 seconds is the most effective means of cleansing hands according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Teaching children to wash their hands can be challenging but as they return to school this Fall, one of the most effective ways to help them stay healthy is to ensure that they wash their hands frequently.
School teachers especially in elementary school are usually quite susceptible to the germs children bring to school and would be well advised to take time out upon arrival and after recesses to make sure children wash their hands before returning to their desks.
Colds, flu and the spread of other germs and diseases can be controlled and prevented with effective handwashing.
Hands should be washed:
- whenever they look or feel dirty
- before eating
- after using the bathroom (and more than 2/3 of adults skip this!)
- after handling or playing with animals (including their toys, leash, and waste)
- after handling saliva, nasal secretions, or blood (coughing or blowing your nose)
- before, during and after preparing food and eating
- after touching anything contaminated such as trash, cleaning cloths, etc.
- after contact with anyone who is ill
Effective handwashing takes less than a minute. Here's how to wash your hands:
- Start with comfortably warm water and rinse hands.
- Then lather up and rub hands together vigorously.
- Using friction, scrub the backs of the hands, the palms, all fingers and under fingernails.
- Lather up above the wrists.
- Continue rubbing your hands together for 20-30 seconds.
- Then rinse from the wrists downward letting all the dirt and germs flow down the drain.
- Be sure to rinse the fronts and backs of the hands.
- Dry thoroughly with a clean towel.
A new product was recently introduced from Airborne(R) which helps to teach children (and adults) how to wash their hands effectively. It's called SquidSoap. It is a liquid soap that when dispensed, stamps the hands with a vegetable dye. After 20-30 seconds of thorough, effective handwashing, the dye comes off. The soap is available with either an orange, purple or green plastic squid on the pump dispenser.
This product works on a principle similar to using food dyes to demonstrate how well children have brushed their teeth. If the food coloring remains it shows where the child missed with brushing. With this soap, the food dye remains until the child uses adequate friction and scrubbing to remove the dye.
For more information:
Kathy Quan - Kathy Quan RN BSN has been a home health/hospice nurse for over 30 years. She has authored five books and writes for several online ...
