When to wash your hands and how often to do it

Knowing how to wash your hands properly and when to wash hands is an important tactic to help protect you and your family from harmful bacteria. Read on for all the tips you need to ensure you keep yourself and your family safe and healthy.

Why is understanding how to wash hands properly and when to wash your hands so important?

Not washing your hands properly at appropriate times can cause you to fall ill, here are three reasons why it is important to understand how to wash hands properly:

• Your hands pick up germs easily. Your hands come into contact with a lot of objects and substances full of germs, from touching things that carry bacteria or sneezing  into your hand.

• Cross contamination is dangerous. When handling food like raw chicken you could transfer diseases like salmonella to surfaces and other people if you do not wash your hands. Cif Power & Shine Kitchen Spray 404 is good for keeping bacteria away from your kitchen work surfaces.

• Bacteria breed quickly. If you do not clean your hands properly, or you forget to wash them, the bacteria will very quickly increase in number and can then be transferred to other places and people – or cause you to become ill.

As well as learning when and how to wash hands your hands properly, it is important that you educate others too, especially if you have children. Make a fun game out of it and get the kids involved in cleaning off all those germs!

How to wash your hands properly every time

Ensure your hands are properly clean by following these hand washing steps¹:

• Wet your hands.

• Apply a good hand soap, covering the entire surface of your hands.

• With your hands palm to palm, rub them together.

• Interlace your fingers and rub them your right palm over the back of your left hand. Repeat with left palm over the back of your right hand.

• With your hands palm to palm and fingers interlaced, rub your hands together.

• Interlock your fingers and rub the backs of your fingers using the opposing palm.

• Rotate your right palm clasped around your left thumb. Repeat with your left palm around your right thumb.

• Use your left palm to clasp the fingers of your right hand and rub. Repeat with the fingers of your left hand in your right palm.

• Rinse your hands off and dry thoroughly.

• Use a towel to turn off the tap, as your hands are now clean.

Top tips for when to wash your hands

Now you know how to wash hands, here are a few times you should ensure you wash your hands properly:

• When preparing food, after handling raw meat and before you eat.

• After using the toilet.

• After touching animals, even your own pets.

• After visiting anyone who is unwell.

• After you blow your nose, cough into your hands or sneeze

• After being outside, no matter how short the time spent outside was.

Now you know the importance of washing hands, you can protect yourself and your family from harmful bacteria making you ill.

¹ These steps are recommended within the World Health Organisation’s international guidelines.

Always wash your hands thoroughly after being in contact with anyone who is ill.

Before preparing food and after handling raw meat, wash your hands.

Help educate others in how to wash hands properly, especially if you have children.