Hand Washing & Disease

Hands come into contact with everything from raw chicken to doorknobs to toilet seats, all of which can harbor germs. Practicing proper hand washing can prevent unnecessary illness, infection and spread of disease to others. Fortunately, hand washing requires a minimal amount of time and energy, yet has a significant impact on disease prevention and control.

Significance

• Washing hands is the first line of defense against diseases such as hepatitis A, infectious diarrhea and the common cold, all of which cause missed time from work and exclusion from school or day care, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health. Hand washing can prevent these and many more illnesses, decreasing doctor's visits, use of prescription medications such as antibiotics and visits to the emergency room. Taking less than one minute to wash the hands can prevent days, weeks or even months of fighting a serious illness.

Considerations

• Wash hands for at least 20 seconds in warm water, with soap; this is about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Using antibacterial soap for hand washing is not necessary; regular solid or liquid soap works just as well at preventing disease, according to KidsHealth. Work the soap into a lather, getting between the fingers, on the front and backs of the hands, around the fingernails and the wrists. Dry hands well after washing, as warm, moist areas can encourage germ growth. Washing hands with hand sanitizer is equally effective as using soap and warm water, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Time Frame

• To prevent disease, hands should be washed before handling foods, touching a baby, eating, giving medications, using contact lenses or touching animals. Hand washing should also take place after touching animals, using the toilet, changing diapers, taking out the trash, coughing, sneezing, handling foods, playing outside, smoking, eating, drinking, playing in water or dirt or touching sores or cuts, the Minnesota Department of Health states.

Features

• Removing all the germs from the hands is impossible, but hand washing is the gold standard for preventing disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Hand washing for disease prevention is required by many industries and occupations; restaurants often have signs posted in restrooms that employees are required to wash hands before returning to work to prevent the spread of disease.

Benefits

• Hand washing is a low cost and low technology form of disease prevention, accoding to Rhode Island Department of Health. Washing hands can become a game for children, and parents can use this time to educate children about germs, hygiene and illness. The supplies needed for hand washing are readily available, inexpensive, store easily and are easily transported.