Why You Should Wash Your Hands Often
Have you ever been to the bathroom and realized someone didn’t wash their hands as they walked out? Don’t be that person! Never leave someone wondering whether or not you washed your hands. Most restrooms have door handles that are used when leaving the facility, so having a person’s hands clean reduces the risk of passing on bacteria and viruses.
You may be wondering why you should wash your hands often. Please refer to the CDC for accurate information on COVID-19 or other illnesses/diseases that are currently prevalent.
Washing your hands should be the number one thing you do most often, especially for healthy living. It is the best way to prevent the number of germs from spreading.
When germs aren’t killed by hand washing, they live in other places, such as countertops, kitchen tables, office door handles, and bathrooms.
Germs can live on surfaces and in the food we eat. The global rate of people washing their hands after using the bathroom is 19%. That’s a high number that few of us realize.
Why You Should Wash Your Hands Often
Have you ever wondered why you should wash your hands? We know it kills germs, but there are many other reasons as well.
There is actual science behind washing your hands. This is one of the best ways to keep yourself from getting sick.
Removes Germs From Hands
The most apparent reason for washing your hands often is that it removes germs. Nothing else can remove germs from your hands like washing them. Think of your favorite TV show or movie where doctors, nurses, and technicians always wash their hands before any medical procedure takes place!
Hand sanitizer works, but it’s not the best way to remove germs. If you don’t wash your hands, this is what can happen.
Germs Get Into Food and Drinks
When germs are not killed, they multiply. When they multiply, they get into your food and drinks. If you prepare food, the germs will get into the food, contaminating them and possibly passing the germs on to other family members.
In the right circumstances, germs can multiply in food and drinks, making you sicker.
Germs Can Transfer
When hands are not washed, germs can be transferred to other things and live on almost every surface. Kids could pass germs on shared toys, gas pump handles, shopping cart handles, TV remotes, and more.
Germs then move from one person to another, and the cycle continues with people getting sick.
Saves Your Life
While it may sound dramatic that handwashing saves your life, it’s not. According to the CDC, “About 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year from diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the top two killers of young children around the world.” source.
Battles Antibiotic Resistance
If you haven’t been reading up on antibiotic resistance, it’s time to do so. When you wash your hands, you are battling against antibiotic resistance.
When you wash your hands, you are preventing sickness. Since there is an overuse of antibiotics in the world, antibiotic resistance is becoming more and more of a real thing. Which Antibiotics Work Best For Which Infection
What Happens When You Wash Your Hands?
When you take the time to wash your hands, you are doing several things:
- You are helping keep germs from spreading.
- You are keeping yourself from getting sick as you pick up germs and viruses from others.
- You are keeping others from getting sick from any germs and viruses you may have.
- Removing germs through handwashing helps reduce the spread of diarrhea.
- Removing germs through handwashing helps reduce the spread of respiratory infections.
- When you wash your hands, you’re keeping those who are immune-compromised from getting sick from certain germs.
When Should You Wash Your Hands?
Now that you know WHY you should wash your hands, you may be wondering when you should wash your hands. Here are some instances when you should wash your hands to help in disease control and the prevention of passing on germs:
- Before prepping food or cooking.
- Before eating and after eating.
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick.
- After using the bathroom or touching a toilet seat used by others.
- After touching an animal.
- After touching garbage.
- Before and after doing first aid on someone, particularly if they have an open wound or have sickness symptoms like vomiting.
- After anything pet-related, particularly animal waste.
- After cleaning areas in your house or office.
- Before and after caring for someone in diapers.
- If you experience a sneeze.
When Should Hand Sanitizer Be Used?
I use hand sanitizer all the time. However, you should always wash your hands if you’re able. Hand sanitizer isn’t always equal. Look at the product label to ensure it contains at least 60% alcohol.
It’s important to note that hand sanitizer doesn’t get rid of all germs. It’s a great alternative when soap and water are unavailable for traditional hand washing.
I keep a small hand sanitizer container with a pump in my car, and Mark and I use it whenever we go somewhere and get back in the car.
This cuts down on stuff our hands may have picked up unknowingly.
How to Wash Your Hands
Have you considered how to properly wash your hands? While most of us know how to wash our hands, I wanted to give you the quick rundown recommended by the CDC.
Step One:
Turn on the water and get your hands wet with cold or warm water.
Step Two:
Grab some regular soap, either bar soap or liquid soap, and lather your hands together. Make sure to clean the front and back of your hands, and wash in between those fingers! Try to get the soap under the ends of your nails since all types of germs like to hide there.
Step Three:
Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. Make sure you do it for at least the whole 20 seconds. You can set a timer if you need to.
Step Four:
Rinse your hands well. When you are done, you can dry them with a clean towel, paper towel, or air dryer if available. Please never share a hand towel in the bathroom.
If possible, have your own. I use paper towels in my bathroom.
Stock Your Home Pharmacy
- Electrolyte Drip Drop
- Cough Lozenges
- Imodium
- Aspirin
- Tylenol
- Ibuprofen
- Vicks VapoRub
- Bag Balm
- Dr. Bronner’s Soap
- Hand Sanitizer
- Tooth Brushes and Toothpaste
- Orajel
- Benadryl
- Advil
- First Aid Supplies
- Survival Medical Handbook
- Non-latex Gloves
- Antibacterial Soap
- Bars of Soap
- Emergen-C
- Lip Balm
- Nasal Spray
- Vitamins
- Essential Oils
- Allergy Medications
- Infant Fever Reducer Medications
- Child Fever Reducer Medications
Final Word
Proper handwashing is critical. It prevents you from getting germs and others from getting them from you. The next time you’re tempted not to wash your hands, think about these tips and WHY washing your hands is such a good idea. May God bless this world, Linda
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Copyright Images: Washing Hands Depositphotos_28423197_s-2019, Hand Sanitizer Depositphotos_76447447_s-2019
Something I’m guilty of is not washing my hands enough and touching my face too much especially when I’m working.
Things we take for granted like those little hand sanitizers folks would pass out on keychains as gifts for attending an event or whatever. Now the mad scramble to find anything anywhere lol. I don’t feel so silly keeping them anymore.
Hi Matt, I think this post will hopefully make everyone aware of washing their hand more often. Those little keychain hand sanitizers are the best!! Linda
Good morning. I was wondering if you have recipe (to share) for homemade hand sanitizer?
Many stores are completely out and online sources are very overpriced at this time.
Thank you for your great articles & advice!
Hi Laura, I do not have a recipe for homemade hand sanitizer. I better get on that! Let’s see if my readers have one. Thank you, Linda
I’ve seen a couple of recipes in online searches. Alcohol, aloe vera gel, glycerin & essential oils. I haven’t tried it yet. I have Aloe Vera gel ordered and on the way.
I just figured that YOU are my (our) expert. So if you have a go to recipe, that’s the one I will trust.
Regards, Laura
Hi Laura, you are no nice! I really do a lot of research before I write anything. It’s funny Mark and I live in a small town and it’s hard to find large containers of hand sanitizer. The funny thing is I would go to the dollar store and buy small containers but I never thought to make it. I’m on it. Stay tuned!! Linda
Thinking of the recent reported runs on soap and hand sanitizers… Someone on a prepper forum asked rhetorically–just what have all these people been using to clean their hands until now? It *is* a scary thought…
And, thinking back to a lesson the school nurse did with my first graders one time. She rubbed something on her own hands (whatever it was, was invisible except under black-light) and then shook hands with one child–who passed along the handshake to the next child, and on round the room. Then she took out the black-light, and showed how everyone’s hands–even the very last child who got the handshake!–now had at least a little bit of glow, which of course represented germs on hands (and doorknobs, and handles, etc.) It was a super lesson. The nurse followed it with how to wash hands–I believe she had a couple of kids rub some veg oil on their hands, and try to wash it off in *cold* water…
Hi Rhonda, what a great lesson form that nurse, I love it! I can’t remember where I saw something on TV years ago where the person showed stuff from doorknobs, gas pump handles, the bank drive-through tubes, and grocery carts. Yikes, there was some bad stuff on those. I’ve never forgotten it! Let’s go wash our hands!! LOL! Linda
Linda,
Something I do to make sure I wash my hands for at least 20 seconds is to slowly sing the “Happy Birthday” song in my head while washing. I had heard this some years ago and timed myself. It works if you sing it slowly. Just thought I would pass that on. Of course, the trick is not to blast through the song too fast. Have a great day!
Hi Harry, that’s a great tip! I want people to be aware they do not have to stand in line to buy hand sanitizer. You can wash your hands with soap and water. Now, they know they can sing “Happy Birthday” to time themselves!! I love it! Linda
I got my two youngest granddaughters to sing twinkle twinkle little star, but with different, crazy grandpa’s weird lyrics. Now, they giggle as they wash.
Hi Bob, this is a great idea, I bet they smile the whole time you’re singing it! Love it, Linda
The Alphabet song works as well.
Hi Karl, great tip!!! Good to hear from you, stay well! Linda
Hi Linda,
Thanks so much for this post. As a nurse, I am always very aware of hand washing. I know that there are people who never think of this. Hoping that this post will encourage everyone to think about and actually wash their hands.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
Hi Susanne, I did not realize you are a nurse! I love hearing that! I really hope people just wash their hands and maybe we can all get through this Coronavirus without a bunch of hooplas! Linda
Here’s a recipe:
Homemade Hand Sanitizer Ingredients
* 2/3 cup 99% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) or ethanol
* 1/3 cup aloe vera gel
* 8-10 drops essential oil, optional (such as lavender, vanilla, peppermint, grapefruit)
* bowl and spoon
* funnel
* recycled liquid soap or hand sanitizer bottle
Make Hand Sanitizer
Nothing could be easier! Simply mix the ingredients together and then use the funnel to pour them into the bottle. Screw the pump back onto the bottle and you’re ready to go.
How It Works
The active ingredient in this hand sanitizer recipe is the alcohol, which needs to comprise at least 60% of the product in order to be an effective disinfectant.
Hi Kristine, I will try this one, thank you so much!!! Linda
Unfortunately, once all this pandemic stuff goes away and people go back to not washing their hands as often, these songs will still be stuck in their heads!
Hi Karl, I know, right???? I’m sitting here watching Frozen (Disney) with some grandkids. It’s the 3rd time this week. The music makes you smile every time!! Stay well, and keep on singing. Linda
I have eczema and my dermatologist advised me to wash my hands often even though my skin dries out so badly. His advice was this: It doesn’t matter how long you “wash” your hands but it is important how long you “rinse” your hands. Use soap and build up a lather. Then rinse to remove the lather and rinse some more!!!
You can also make an anti-bacterial lotion using your favorite lotion and a few drops of tea tree oil. Tea tree oil is very drying so go easy on that!! I find that adding tea tree oil to my store-bought non-scented lotion is healing as well as moisturizing. I have a separate empty lotion bottle and when I purchase a new lotion at the store, I fill the empty lotion bottle with new lotion and 10-15 drops of tea tree oil. It all depends on how large the bottle is. If I have a travel sized bottle, I will only use 5-6 drops of tea tree oil.
A lot of people do not like the scent of tea tree oil – it is pretty strong, and it definitely doesn’t work with a scented lotion, but the benefits are great!!
Oh and when I am in a public restroom (rare but it happens!) I get really disgusted when I KNOW someone has not washed their hands.
Hi Leanne, my daughter uses Tea Tree oil for a lot of things. I like your thoughts about wash your hands but rinsing them is just as important. I agree with being disgusted when someone walks out of the bathroom without washing their hands! Linda