Five Tips for Proper Handwashing

Home cleanliness practices in Frisco, TX during the ongoing pandemic must include proper handwashing technique. Of all the sanitary practices available, handwashing is the best way to control the spread of COVID-19, and was essential before that to limit illnesses like the flu. Here are five tips on proper handwashing:

• Know how germs spread: If you understand how germs spread, it is easier to practice regular handwashing and explain its importance. People become sick when they touch contaminated surfaces and then eat, prepare food or touch their mouth, eyes or nose with unwashed hands. Coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose and then touching another person can also spread germs. Once this is understood, it is easy to see why handwashing is so important.
• Know when to wash your hands: There are key times when you are more likely to spread germs. These include food preparation, bathroom use, diaper changes, litter box or yard cleaning and garbage handling. If you are coughing or sneezing regularly, you likely need to wash your hands after those instances, too, especially if you also have a runny nose. During this pandemic, it is also recommended that you wash your hands after being in public and touch surfaces handled by other people, like door handles, tables, gas pumps or shopping carts. If you need to do anything that involves touching your face, wash your hands first before doing so.
• Be thorough: The days of quick handwashing are over. Germs are killed when you are thorough and wash for at least 20 seconds. The CDC recommends that you first wet your hands with clean water and apply soap. Lather your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails. Continue this for 20 seconds. If you need help with a timer, sing or hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice. Rinse well under running water and dry with a clean towel.
• Keep hand sanitizer: If you do not have access to running water, hand sanitizer makes a decent substitute until you can wash your hands. Make sure you purchase a brand that contains an alcohol content of at least 60 percent. To use properly, apply generously to your palms and rub together until they’re dry. That should take at least 20 seconds.
• Know the limits of hand sanitizer: While hand sanitizer works in a pinch, it should not be considered a replacement for handwashing. It does not kill all types of germs, and if your hands are dirty or greasy, it may not work at all. If you have been using it while grocery shopping or running essential errands, continue to avoid touching your face and thoroughly wash your hands when you arrive home. It is intended to be a stopgap, not a way to a completely germ-free existence.

Scrubs Home Cleaning can help you with home cleanliness practices by giving you a freshly clean home right on schedule. That combined with good handwashing technique in Frisco, TX will keep you and your family safe from illness. Contact us today to schedule an estimate.

Categorised in: Home Cleaning