It’s National Handwashing Awareness Week!

This week is National Handwashing Awareness Week! Sure, there may seem to be a day or a week dedicated to just about anything these days, but what could be more important than your health?

National Handwashing Awareness Week is from December 2nd through December 8th of this year. Why is proper handwashing so important? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) states, “Washing hands prevents illnesses and spread of infections to others. Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands. This helps prevent infections because:


It is very important to remove soil, dirt, and microorganisms from your hands since the hands are tools that can easily transfer germs and bacteria which rapidly spreads illnesses. If water and soap are not available, hands can be cleaned with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer instead.

CDC Facts:


• Reduces diarrhea illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58%
• Reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in schoolchildren by 29-57%




• Handwashing education and access to soap in schools can help improve attendance
• Good handwashing early in life may help improve child development in some settings
• Estimated global rates of handwashing after using the toilet are only 19%.” Nineteen percent? Yuck!

Those were the reasons why it is so very important to practice good handwashing hygiene.

How should you practice good hand hygiene? Read on to find out the dirty details.

The CDC explains, “Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. CDC recommends cleaning hands in a specific way to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Germs, or pathogens, are types of microbes that can cause disease. The guidance for effective handwashing and use of hand sanitizer was developed based on data from a number of studies.





To date, studies have shown that there is no added health benefit for consumers (this does not include professionals in the healthcare setting) using soaps containing antibacterial ingredients compared with using plain soap. As a result, FDA issued a final rule in September 2016 that 19 ingredients in common “antibacterial” soaps, including triclosan, were no more effective than non-antibacterial soap and water and thus these products are no longer able to be marketed to the general public. This rule does not affect hand sanitizers, wipes, or antibacterial products used in healthcare settings.





Accordingly, many countries and global organizations have adopted recommendations to wash hands for about 20 seconds (some recommend an additional 20-30 seconds for drying):

• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water


• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them


Suppose soap and clean running water are not available? “CDC recommends cleaning hands in a specific way to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. The guidance for effective handwashing and use of hand sanitizer was developed based on data from a number of studies.


Why? Many studies have found that sanitizers with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers may: 1. not work equally well for all classes of germs (for example, Gram-positive vs. Gram-negative bacteria, Cryptosporidium, norovirus); 2. cause germs to develop resistance to the sanitizing; 3. merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright; or 4. be more likely to irritate skin than alcohol-based hand sanitizers.


Why? The steps for hand sanitizer use are based on a simplified procedure recommended by CDC. Instructing people to cover all surfaces of both hands with hand sanitizer has been found to provide similar disinfection effectiveness as providing detailed steps for rubbing-in hand sanitizer.


Why? Although alcohol-based hand sanitizers can inactivate many types of microbes very effectively when used correctly, people may not use a large enough volume of the sanitizers or may wipe it off before it has dried. Furthermore, soap and water are more effective than hand sanitizers at removing or inactivating certain kinds of germs, like Cryptosporidium, norovirus, and Clostridium difficile.


Why? Many studies show that hand sanitizers work well in clinical settings like hospitals, where hands come into contact with germs but generally are not heavily soiled or greasy. Some data also show that hand sanitizers may work well against certain types of germs on slightly soiled hands. However, hands may become very greasy or soiled in community settings, such as after people handle food, play sports, work in the garden, or go camping or fishing. When hands are heavily soiled or greasy, hand sanitizers may not work well. Handwashing with soap and water is recommended in such circumstances.

• Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning

Why? Ethyl alcohol (ethanol)-based hand sanitizers are safe when used as directed, but they can cause alcohol poisoning if a person swallows more than a couple of mouthfuls.
From 2011 – 2015, U.S. poison control centers received nearly 85,000 calls about hand sanitizer exposures among children. Children may be particularly likely to swallow hand sanitizers that are scented, brightly colored, or attractively packaged. Hand sanitizers should be stored out of the reach of young children and should be used with adult supervision. Child-resistant caps could also help reduce hand sanitizer-related poisonings among young children. Older children and adults might purposefully swallow hand sanitizers to become drunk.

• Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals, like pesticides and heavy metals, from hands

Why? Although few studies have been conducted, hand sanitizers probably cannot remove or inactivate many types of harmful chemicals. In one study, people who reported using hand sanitizer to clean hands had increased levels of pesticides in their bodies. If hands have touched harmful chemicals, wash carefully with soap and water (or as directed by a poison control center).”

Now that you know why and how to correctly wash your hands, are you ready to keep yourself and loved ones healthy not only during cold and flu season, but the whole year through? Follow these simple steps in proper hand hygiene and you will be well on your way to becoming a happy and healthy handwashing hero!
