Protect yourself and wash your hands the right way

Anna Kathryn Burch, MD

Pediatric Infectious Disease

Your hands might look clean, but are they really? Every surface you touch – doorknobs, phones, keyboards – can carry invisible hitchhikers: germs that can make you sick. As flu season creeps in, your best defense isn’t high-tech or expensive – it’s simply washing your hands. Infectious disease specialist Anna-Kathryn Burch, MD, explained why it’s important to wash your hands the right way.

“Hand washing is the number one way to help prevent the spread of germs and diarrhea-related illnesses,” she said. “We touch our eyes, nose and mouth with our hands up to 25 times an hour. Even if you cannot see the germs on your hands, they are there, and touching your face frequently with dirty hands can make you sick.”

To reduce your chances of getting sick, she said it’s important to:

• Wash your hands frequently, especially after using the restroom.
• Wash your hands or use hand sanitizer after coughing or sneezing.
• Limit the number of times you touch your face.
• Always wash your hands before eating.

To successfully remove germs, you have to use the proper technique. Dr. Burch recommended following these five steps:

1. Rinse your hands in warm water.
2. Lather your hands with soap.
3. Scrub under your nails, between fingers, and on the back of your hands for at least 20 seconds (sing “Happy Birthday” in your head twice).
4. Rinse off the soap.
5. Shut off the water with a paper towel to avoid picking up any new germs.

Sometimes it’s hard to find a bathroom when you need to wash your hands. In these cases, Dr. Burch said hand sanitizer is a great alternative and works almost as well as washing your hands with soap and water. Just be sure to check the ingredients and use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol in it. Although hand sanitizer is a great option, washing with soap is more effective, so always choose old-fashioned soap and water when faced with both options.