North Country Health Nuggets
Hand washing is one of the simplest, most effective ways to protect your health and the health of others. Here’s why it matters:
Why Hand Washing Is Important
1. Prevents the Spread of Germs:
Your hands pick up viruses and bacteria throughout the day from doorknobs, phones, shared surfaces, pets, and even food packaging. Washing your hands removes these germs before they enter your body or spread to others.
2. Reduces Illness:
Hand washing significantly lowers the risk of:
- Colds and flu
- Stomach bugs (norovirus, salmonella, E. coli)
- COVID-19
- Respiratory infections
- Eye infections
Studies show proper hand hygiene can reduce respiratory illnesses by 20%–25% and diarrheal diseases by up to 40%!
3. Protects Vulnerable People
Young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems rely on others practicing good hygiene to stay safe.
4. Stops Germ Transfer to Your Face
We touch our faces dozens of times per hour. Clean hands prevent germs from reaching eyes, nose, and mouth, your body’s main entry points for infections.
5. Important in Food Safety
Hand washing prevents cross-contamination when handling raw meat, eggs, or produce and helps avoid foodborne illnesses.
6. Supports Public Health
It’s a foundational habit in healthcare, childcare, food preparation, and schools. Widespread hand hygiene reduces outbreaks in communities.
When to Wash Your Hands
- Before eating or preparing food
- After using the restroom
- After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose
- After touching high-traffic surfaces such as counter tops
- After caring for someone who is ill
- After handling garbage or dirty laundry
- After touching pets or pet waste
How to Wash Effectively
- Wet hands with warm, clean, running water
- Apply soap
- Scrub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds. Focus on fingertips and under nails. Run through the ABC’s in your mind. Takes about 20 seconds
- Keep natural nails short and clean. Avoid acrylics, gels, extensions and nail polish. Germs can find places to hide under all of these.
- Rinse well
- Dry with a clean paper towel or air dry. In your home wash and change hand towels at least daily.
Antibacterial soaps are no more effective than plain soap and water for killing disease-causing germs outside of health care settings.
Liquid soap:
- Liquid soap is generally recommended over bar soap for cleaning your hands
- Liquid soap is easy to use and will not spread germs from the bar of soap to another person.
- Many liquid soaps also include a moisturizing agent. This helps prevent dry skin and the cracks that can occur.
- Bar soap can be used in a household if no one has skin infections
Hand Sanitizer
- Wash your hands with soap and water when your hands are visibly soiled. If soap and water is not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (wipes or gel).
- Food handlers in restaurants, schools, delis and grocery stores must wash their hands with soap and water before applying hand sanitizers. [Minn Rules Chap. 4626.0070 - 4626.0085]
Which Soap is Best? - MN Dept. of Health
Hand-washing: Do's and don'ts - Mayo Clinic
The Great Garden Detective Adventure USDA
Submitted by: North Country Community Health Services and Beltrami County Community Health Services- www.ncchb.org or www.co.beltrami.mn.us/services/public-health/ or find us on Facebook-North Country Community Health Services
(Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard and Lake of the Woods Public Health)