Washing Your Hands: How and When Is It Most Useful?

An important gesture

Wash your hands: it seems there is no simpler and more effective rule to protect your own and others' health. Germs, in fact, are everywhere and easily move from one point to another using water, objects, living beings and dust particles as transport pods When they find an ideal or otherwise protected environment, they nest there and, if environmental conditions allow, they proliferate, multiplying at an impressive rate.

During the day, our hands come into contact with numerous objects, often with animals and with foods that are teeming with microorganisms (think, for example, of banknotes, supports for public transport, door handles, gym equipment, snacks on the bar counter or at the buttons of electronic instruments). Although most of these germs are harmless, some microorganisms possess pathogenic characteristics. Just think of the spread of certain diseases, such as cholera, ascariasis, salmonellosis and hepatitis A, in countries where general and personal hygiene standards are particularly lacking.

Without disturbing pathologies fortunately rare in our country, let's examine the cold, the dreaded toxoplasmosis, conjunctivitis, pinworms or the common "intestinal influences": according to experts, it is sufficient to wash your hands every time you leave the toilet or they manipulate food to considerably reduce the risk of infection. Otherwise, these germs can penetrate the organism when the hands are brought to the nose, mouth, eyes or pass over open wounds, even imperceptible to the naked eye.

Furthermore, some bacteria have developed considerable resistance to antibiotics and it is therefore important to prevent infection by washing the hands thoroughly, especially if the person has a weakened immune system (a common cold could complicate chronic bronchitis).

When to wash your hands

Before...

• Handle or consume food
• Medicate or touch one's own or someone else's wound
• Apply or remove contact lenses

After...

• Stayed in the toilet or touched the anogenital area
• Handled raw food, especially meats (chicken, pork, hamburgers) or fish
• Changed a diaper
• Blown nose, coughed or sneeze
• Having stroked a pet, especially reptiles and exotic animals
• Handling waste
• Having worked out in the gym
• Having been in close contact with sick people, for example on returning from hospital
• After staying in very busy places, such as waiting rooms of railways, airports etc.

How to wash your hands

When it comes to personal hygiene, it is not only important to respect the instructions on the right time to wash your hands, but also those relating to the correct washing and cleansing technique. A quick rinse, in fact, is not enough to eliminate the problem.

So let's see some simple tips to wash your hands in the most suitable way.

• Use soap and running water, preferably warm
• Thoroughly wash all surfaces, including the wrists, palms and backs of the hands, fingers and the space below the free edge of the nails
• Rub your hands together and scrub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds
• Rinse thoroughly
• Dry your hands with the special disposable paper, with a clean personal towel or with a hot air device
• If the sink is equipped with old taps or more modern but unsanitary mixers, these should be closed with hands protected by disposable paper.
• If necessary, apply a moisturizer to prevent irritation after using too aggressive detergents or after prolonged washing.

The common soap is sufficient to remove germs from the hands, but in the absence of water you can resort to the so-called hand sanitizers, modern and special alcohol-based soaps for dry hand washing. Also in recent years, detergents with bactericidal action have appeared in large-scale distribution, but more than the chosen product it is essential to respect the correct washing technique (also because antibacterial agents could increase bacterial resistance).

Finally, we remind you that providing our guests (especially the doctor who visits us) with freshly discarded soap to wash their hands and a clean towel to dry them, is an act of appreciated courtesy.