By Jamie Barrie Y ou are saying to yourself right now, an article on washing your hands, what is any simpler than washing your hands? Well according to a recent study, 97% of the time, we’re still doing it wrong and it is affecting our health and the health of others. The study from the US Department of Agriculture shows most consumers failed to wash their hands and rub with soap for 20 seconds. That’s the amount of time recom- mended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which says that washing for shorter periods means fewer germs are removed. The study also showed that many par- ticipants didn’t dry their hands with a clean towel, which negates the hand washing in the first place. The USDA says that poor hand-washing practices lead to cross-contamination at home and in the workplace. Since we cannot see, smell or feel bacteria by simply washing your hands properly, you can protect your family and prevent that bacteria from contaminating your food and key areas in your kitchen keeping your family safe.
Step 1: Wet hands with clean, running water. Step 2: After wetting hands with water, turn off the tap and apply soap. Step 3: Lather hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of hands, between fingers, and under fingernails. Step 4: Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds. Step 5: Rinse hands well under clean, running water. Step 6: Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry them. It is important to use a clean towel, preferable paper as bacteria were more likely to be found on wet towels, and towels used for more than one purpose, such as wiping counter tops and utensils and drying hands. Think that washing your hands correctly is not serious business? Well think again, as 48 million Americans each year get sick from hands not being washed properly result- ing in approximately 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths.
So, are you washing your hands correctly?
These are some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, see if you are one of the only 5% of people washing their hands correctly:
Sounds serious to us, so take washing your hands seriously.
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SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • OCTOBER 2018
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