This document provides guidance on when and how to properly wash your hands. It lists 10 situations when hand washing is important: before eating or preparing food, after using the bathroom, after caring for someone who is sick, after blowing your nose or coughing, after touching animals or waste, and after touching surfaces frequently touched by others. It emphasizes washing hands for at least 15 seconds with soap and water, singing "Happy Birthday" twice, and drying thoroughly. Hand sanitizers are suggested as an alternative when soap and water are not available.

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PLEASE INSERT
YOUR CARD TO
BEGIN
When they look dirty
Before preparing or
eating food
Before and after
caring for someone
who is sick
Before and after
treating any wound
After blowing your nose,
coughing or sneezing
After handling garbage
After using the toilet
After changing
diapers or assisting
anyone who has gone
to the bathroom
After touching any
animal or animal waste
After touching any
surface or object that is
frequently touched by
other people
Sources:
www.nj.gov/health/flu/documents/when_to_wash_hands.pdf
www.health24.com/Lifestyle/Environmental-health/News/How-often-do-
you-wash-your-hands-20120721
www.wash-hands.com/hand_hygiene_and_you/
consequences_of_poor_hand_hygiene
www.emed.ie/Infections/Hand_Washing.php
www.globalhandwashing.org
7
timesaday
Did you know that you
should wash your hands
at least
For a minimum of
15seconds each
time...
(orforaslongasittakesto
sing‘HappyBirthday’allthe
waythrough-twice!)
in the following circumstances:
and you definitely need to give them a
good old scrub
Salmonella, Food-poisoning,
MRSA, Flu, Sickness & Diarrhoea,
The Common Cold, Impetigo.
NOT
Washing your hands
properly can cause and spread
nasty illnesses including:
Hands up!Do you wash YOUR hands properly?
One of the easiest ways to stop germs
spreading is to wash your hands thoroughly
with soap and water, and equally as
important - drying them properly.
But! Studies have shown that tons
of us are doing it all wrong
Bits we’re
good at
washing
Bits we
sometimes
miss
Bits we’re
TERRIBLE at
washing
Back of
hand
Palm of
hand
What if there's
no soap & water
handy though?
If you’re out and about, commuting to work,
or simply somewhere where you need to
wash your hands in a hurry, don’t worry - we
have the answer!
Hand-sanitizing and anti-bacterial hand-wipes are
ideal for situations where people need suitable
hand hygiene, but are unable to access soap or
water easily and many are just as effective
as gel hand sanitizers in killing 99.99% of
bacteria.
So keep a pack in your
purse, your backpack, your
briefcase, your luggage, your
school-bag or your car as
part of your hand-washing
routine... you never know
when you might need one!
supporting
Check out www.globalhandwashing.org for more info on how to do it properly!