Wash your hands to stay healthy
Proper hand washing with soap and warm water is the single most important thing you can do to help reduce the spread of illnesses like swine flu, seasonal flu, colds and stomach bugs.
That's why the NHS provides clear advice on how to wash hands properly by following the 10 steps below – which should take at least 15 seconds to do properly.
- Wet hands with water
- Apply enough soap or handwash to cover all hand surfaces
- Rub hands palm to palm
- Rub right palm over the other hand with interlaced fingers and vice versa
- Rub palm to palm with fingers interlaced
- Rub backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked
- Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa
- Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice versa
- Rinse hands with water
- Dry thoroughly with a towel
The NHS advises that you should wash your hands after using the toilet, handling uncooked foods, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, touching animals or animal waste, or taking out the rubbish.
You should also wash your hands after changing a child's nappy, working in the garden, touching a sick or injured person, or visiting a hospital ward.
It's also important to wash your hands before you prepare or eat food, treat a cut or wound or visit a hospital ward.
Find more information about preventing illness through good hand hygiene at the NHS website www.wash-hands.com
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