What's new

Closed 5 Ways You’re Washing Your Hands Wrong That Could Make You Sick

Status
Not open for further replies.

capslocked

Forum Guru
Joined
Apr 14, 2015
Posts
2,124
Reaction
770
Points
1,130
01-handwashing-wrong-wash-long-enough-sl.jpg
You Don't Wash Long Enough
A recent Michigan State University study found that 95 percent of people don’t wash hands long enough to effectively kill germs—that’s 20 seconds of scrubbing with soap and water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “We tell kids and adults to sing the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice,” says Roshini Raj, MD, attending physician at NYU Medical Center. The average hand-washing time was only about six seconds, the MSU study found. What’s more, 15 percent of men and 7 percent of women didn’t wash their hands at all after using the restroom.




02-handwashing-wrong-nooks-and-crannies-sl.jpgAlina Solovyova-Vincent/iStock
You Skip Nooks and Crannies
If you just rub soap between your palms, rinse, and call it a day, your hands are probably still dirty. “Germs love to hide under fingernails and in the pockets between fingers, so you should scrub these areas every time you wash,” says Dr. Raj. Be sure to scrub vigorously to work up a good lather—friction is key to eliminate dirt, grease, and microbes from the skin.




03-handwashing-wrong-dry-thoroughly-sl.jpgstudyoritim/iStock
You Don't Dry Thoroughly
The most diligent handwashing techniques are worthless if you skimp on drying. Germs love to breed in moisture, says Dr. Raj. Leaving the restroom with still-damp hands can make it easier to pick up germy microbes from the next surface you touch. If you have the choice of paper towels or air blowers, choose the paper towels. In a study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings in 2012, researchers analyzed all hand washing studies done since 1970. The paper concluded that paper towels are superior to driers at getting hands properly dry without spattering germs or drying out skin. If blowers are your only optionarrow-10x10.png, be sure to spend enough time with your hands under the blowing air until they’re completely dry, even if it takes a while.




04-handwashing-wrong-after-using-bathroom-sl.jpgnano/iStock
You Wash Only After Using The Bathroom
Anytime you touch a public surface—elevator buttons, a doorknob, the ATM, or a subway pole—you’re at risk for picking up germs or bacteria. “Most people know to wash after going to the bathroom, but you should wash periodically throughout the entire day, especially during cold and flu season,” says Dr. Raj.

For times when it’s not convenient to get to a sink, stash a bottle of hand sanitizer in your bag or desk drawer. A sanitizer with ******* content of at least 60 percent is effective at killing many types of germs, says the CDC.




05-handwashing-wrong-hot-water-sl.jpgEasyBuy4u/iStock
You Assume You Have To Use Hot Water
Soap and hot
 

Attachments

Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

Back
Top