National Handwashing Awareness Week

Religious rituals involving handwashing have been around for thousands of years, however, the realization that keeping your hands clean helps prevent the spread of disease is one that we’ve been aware of for only a century. Today, almost everyone is aware of the fact that handwashing is a vital part of daily hygiene. Unfortunately, not everyone puts that knowledge into practice. It’s estimated that only 5% of people wash their hands correctly, and 33% of people don’t even use soap when washing their hands.

It’s because of statistics such as these along with the overall importance of handwashing when it comes to disease prevention that December 6-12 has been designated “National Handwashing Awareness Week“. This event is designed to teach proper handwashing techniques along with raising awareness about the importance of frequent handwashing. This is a cause that St. Jude Labs is proud to promote by covering everything you need to know about handwashing, including why it’s important, the proper method for washing your hands, and more interesting handwashing statistics.

Why is Handwashing Important?

According to Pfizer, our hands carry an average of 3,200 different germs belonging to 150 species. Most of these organisms are harmless, but many others can cause a wide variety of diseases. The problem with germs on your hands is that they are inevitably going to get inside your body the first time you touch your nose, eyes, or mouth. Germs that are capable of surviving on surfaces can also be spread from your hands to others if you both end up touching the same surface. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 80% of communicable diseases are spread via our hands.

Thankfully, proper handwashing is able to kill up to 99.9% of the germs on your hands. This means that frequent handwashing is one of the most effective methods we have available for stopping the spread of everything from salmonella to the flu to coronavirus.

Proper Handwashing Technique

Remember the fact that only 5% of people wash their hands correctly? While proper handwashing technique is far from complicated, it’s also something that many people simply never learned or cared enough to put into practice.

If you would like to start washing your hands in a way that will reduce your chances of catching or spreading communicable diseases as much as possible, here are the five steps that the CDC recommends:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold) then turn off the tap and apply soap to your hands.

2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to also lather the back of your hands, between your fingers, and underneath your fingernails.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you need a timer, humming the “Happy Birthday Song” twice from beginning to end is a close approximation.

4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dryer.

The whole process is certainly simple enough, but there are also several places where plenty of people go wrong. Failing to wash your hands long enough is a common mistake, as is neglecting to lather between your fingers and underneath your fingernails. Another common mistake is using an unwashed hand towel to dry your hands after washing them, which can spread germs right back onto your hands.

When Should You Wash Your Hands?

It’s important to wash your hands frequently no matter the circumstances in order to keep them free of harmful germs. However, there are also plenty of situations that demand an impromptu handwashing. According to the CDC, key times to wash your hands include:

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before and after eating food
• Before and after carrying someone who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
• Before and after treating a wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After handling pet food or pet treats
• After handling garbage

Final Thoughts on National Handwashing Awareness Week

Washing your hands frequently and properly is such a simple way to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. When you consider the fact that 80% of these diseases are spread via our hands, it’s not hard to imagine how much good could be done if everyone washed their hands correctly. This National Handwashing Awareness Week, be sure that you are doing your part to protect yourself and others by remembering to wash your hands and following the proper handwashing technique.