How many times have we heard, “Go wash your
hands!” Yea, pretty tired of it. But now, we’re hearing
from the CDC that we may not have been doing it right all along. Never before has this phrase taken on more
meaning. As homes across the Hudson
Valley stock up on soaps and hand sanitizers, do we really know when to use
them? The CDC says that there are
important differences between washing hands with soap and water and cleaning
them with hand sanitizer.
“For example, alcohol-based hand sanitizers
don’t kill ALL types of germs, such as a stomach bug called norovirus, some
parasites, and Clostridium difficile, which causes severe diarrhea,” says their
downloadable poster. Hand sanitizers
also may not remove harmful chemicals, such as pesticides and heavy metals like
lead. Hand washing reduces the amounts of all types of germs, pesticides, and metals
on hands. Knowing when to clean your hands and which method to use -- and how
to use the product -- will give you the best chance of preventing sickness.
How to
use Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer:
Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that
contains at least 60% alcohol.
Supervise young children when they use hand
sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol, especially in schools and childcare
facilities.
- Put enough product on hands to
cover all surfaces.
- Rub hands together, until hands
feel dry. This should take around 20 seconds.
- Do not rinse or wipe off the hand
sanitizer before it’s dry; it may not work as well against germs.
When to
use Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer:
Before and after visiting a friend or a loved
one in a hospital or nursing home, unless the person is sick with Clostridium
difficile (if so, use soap and water to wash hands).
If soap and water are not available, use an
alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol, and wash with
soap and water as soon as you can.
* Do NOT use hand sanitizer if your hands are
visibly dirty or greasy: for example, after gardening, playing outdoors, or
after fishing or camping (unless a handwashing station is not available). Wash
your hands with soap and water instead.
How to wash
using soap and water:
- Wet your hands with clean running
water (warm or cold) and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them
together with the soap.
- Scrub all surfaces of your hands,
including the palms, backs, fingers, between your fingers, and under your
nails. Keep scrubbing for 20 seconds.
- Need a timer? Hum the “Happy
Birthday” song twice.
- Rinse your hands under clean,
running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel
or air dry them.
When to
use soap and water:
- 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 bathroom, changing
diapers, or cleaning up a child who has used the bathroom
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or
sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal
food or treats, animal cages, or animal waste
- After touching garbage
- If your hands are visibly dirty or
greasy