Our Ask An Angel correspondent is Arlene Petersen, Life Care Navigation Specialist in the area of senior home care.
Q. Is it true that we are supposed to wash our hands for 20 to 30 seconds? That seems like a long time! What about using hand sanitizers?
A. It seems we are very conscious of germs these days. Personally, I like the sanitary wipes that stores provide so that I can wipe down my cart handle before strolling through the store. I can still remember telling my little ones to wash their hands as soon as they came home from school. And of course, I always told them to do a good job! What can we do so that we don’t inherit germs or spread them, for that matter?
The Center for Disease Control says that keeping hands clean by practicing good hand hygiene is one of the best ways to stay healthy and avoid spreading germs to others. If you are unable to use soap and water, a hand sanitizer made of at least 60 percent alcohol will also work.
The following sounds like common sense, but it is a good review for all of us.
What is the right way to wash your hands?
- Wet your hands with clean, running water at either a warm or cold temperature and apply soap.
- Lather soap in hands and scrub well; don’t forget the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails.
- Wash hands for at least 20 seconds, or the time it takes to hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
- Rinse hands free of soap under running water.
- Dry your hands.
The CDC recommends washing your hands in the above manner during
these situations, as listed on cdc.gov/handwashing:
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching garbage
- After shaking hands
- After touching grocery cart handles or other public door handles and light switches.
What should we do if we don’t have access to water? I always carry a small hand sanitizer in my purse. While effective in reducing the number of germs present, alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs. These sanitizers are not as effective when hands are visibly dirty.
While hand sanitizers are great, washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs on them. Take good care of yourself and protect your health and those of others by being proactive with good hand-washing habits.
Have a question for our angel correspondent? You can send our angel an email to apetersen@visitingangels.com or send your question via mail to Ask An Angel, 65 Woodbury St., South Elgin, IL 60177.
