Keeping your hands clean is an important part of personal hygiene, and also helps to prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. Follow these 5 steps to handwashing, to make sure you’re cleaning your hands properly.
Healthy Handwashing Survey
Bradley Corporation conducted a Healthy Handwashing Survey in January, and the results are a little bit shocking. We’re still smack dab in the middle of a pandemic, many businesses are still closed, and we’re still wearing masks. Yet only 57% of Americans are washing their hands 6 times a day or more. That’s a very large drop from 78% of Americans who said they washed their hands that often in April of 2020.
While handwashing may be on the decline, shaking hands has declined as well; and that’s a good thing considering how many people aren’t keeping up on their handwashing hygiene. 53% of survey respondents say they now wave when saying hello, while 29% do fist or elbow bumps, and 16% give air hugs.
Another positive is that 61% of Americans do understand that hand sanitizer is not quite as effective as washing hands when it comes to fighting germs. Washing your hands with soap and water is always best, but when that is not an option, go ahead and reach for that hand sanitizer, because it is better than doing nothing.
What are the proper 5 steps to handwashing?
To wash your hands the proper way, and to make sure that you wash away the germs and bacteria on your hands, follow these 5 steps each and every time that you wash your hands.
- Get your hands wet with clean water, and then apply antibacterial soap.
- Lather your hands well, and rub them together, making sure that you get your entire hands, including the back of your hands, in between your fingers, and underneath your fingernails.
- Scrub your hands for 20 seconds, at the very least.
- Rinse your hands with clean water.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel or use a hand dryer.
When using public restrooms, paper towel can help bust those nasty germs. Simply grab a paper towel and use it over your hand when touching surfaces like the faucet, flusher, and door handles.