Washing hands
Washing hands plays a key role in hygiene, as hands spread the majority of infectious diseases. In a pandemic situation, the regular washing of hands will constitute an essential protective action. It is also better to avoid shaking hands.
When should I wash my hands?
You should wash your hands as often as possible and particularly at certain essential times:
Before preparing meals and after cooking.
Before eating.
Before feeding children.
After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
Every time you return home.
After using public transport.
After visiting an ill person or having close contact with the objects they use or their personal effects.
Before putting in or taking out contact lenses.
In all cases, hands should be washed:
After taking off a mask.
After going to the toilet.
After changing a nappy or helping a child go to the toilet.
After touching an animal or clearing up its excrement.
After handling rubbish.
Every time the hands are dirty.
How do I wash my hands properly?
The method for correctly washing your hands is very important, as soap alone is not enough to eliminate germs. A combination of soaping, rubbing, rinsing and drying is required to get rid of germs.
Wet your hands under running hot water.
Apply soap to your hands, if possible liquid soap.
Rub your hands for 30 seconds to produce foam. Remember to rub the back of the hand, between the fingers, under the fingernails and the wrists. Suggest to children that they sing a song (for example Happy Birthday) so that they wash their hands thoroughly for the required time.
Thoroughly rinse your hands under running water.
Dry your hands with a clean towel - if possible a disposable paper towel - or leave them to air dry.
Turn off taps with a paper towel or a piece of paper.
How can I optimise the effectiveness of washing my hands?
PTo wash your hands even more effectively, here are a few essential rules:
Use soap, preferably liquid or no-rinse soap (these hydroalcohol products are available in pharmacies and supermarkets). Bars of soap are not as hygienic as they remain humid and retain viruses.
Keep your nails clean and do not bite them: to prevent viruses collecting underneath the nails, they should be cut short and regularly brushed with a cleaned and rinsed brush.
Keep your skin healthy: dirty hands or skin can act as a breeding ground for viruses. A moisturising lotion should be used to maintain healthy skin.
Washing your hands outside the home
Outside, hydroalcohol cleaning products or disposable towelettes should be carried so that you can wash your hands if there is no liquid soap in public lavatories. By using disposable/single-use towels, you will avoid viruses left by others on fabric towels.
In the workplace, ensure that you wash your hands before all meals, during breaks and at the end of the working day.
Is it better to wash my hands or wear gloves?
Health professionals know how to use gloves to protect themselves without spreading the viruses found on their gloves.
If you have not been trained in using gloves you will do more harm than good and can spread viruses onto objects around you. In doing so, you will be helping to spread the virus. They should therefore not be used.
It is better to regularly wash your hands (before and after coming into contact with ill persons, after handling potentially contaminated objects).