Continuing on with my series on simple steps that everyone can (and should!) take to prevent COVID-19, I’ve reached the seemingly simplest and hopefully least controversial step: handwashing.
Everyone – children, adults, and everyone in between – should be washing their hands frequently every day but especially during the current pandemic to clean germs and dirt off their hands. Teach your children to wash their hands regularly, and remember to set a good example for them by washing your hands regularly as well! You are the most important influence on your children, and if they notice you not washing your hands then you’ll send them a clear message that you don’t believe handwashing to be important, regardless of what you might say.
Remember to wash your hands:
- Before, during and after food preparation and eating;
- After using the toilet, changing diapers or cleaning up a child’s “accident”;
- After sneezing, coughing, picking up used tissues (yours or someone else’s) or otherwise coming in contact with mucus (snot) or saliva (spit or drool);
- Before and after taking care of someone who is sick;
- After playing with animals;
- After taking out or otherwise touching garbage;
- After touching high-touch public surfaces (like door handles, grocery carts, elevator buttons, etc.); and
- Before applying makeup or otherwise touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Although there’s been a lot of discussion of hand sanitizer over the last few months, washing your hands with soap and running water is the most effective way to clean your hands. Hand sanitizer can be a good option if you can’t get to a sink, but hand washing with soap and water should be your first choice during this pandemic.
I must admit something now: I learned the correct way to scrub my hands for surgery during medical school, but over the years since then, I had loosened up on handwashing when I’m not seeing patients, not sick and my hands aren’t visibly dirty. I had to relearn the right way to wash my hands this spring. I’ve been that person running late for something important who ran her hands under the water with a sliver of soap and shook her hands out while hurrying out the door; maybe you have as well. You might be asking yourself: is the whole lengthy handwashing spiel really important?
Yes, yes it is. COVID-19 can be spread by breathing or coughing the virus, but it can also be spread by touching a surface (or hand) that someone else has breathed or coughed on, and then touching your eyes, mouth or nose. Germs can live all over our hands, but especially in the spaces between our fingers, under our nails, in the folds on our palms and wrists and in other harder-to-reach areas that might not get completely clean if we rush things.
Get all surfaces of your hands nice and wet, past your wrists. Remember that you may have touched something with the back or side of your hand!
Lather all surfaces of your hands with soap, and rub them together for at least 20 seconds. As you’ve most likely already heard, this is about the length of time to sing “Happy Birthday” twice over. That may sound silly or corny to you, but for years now I automatically sing “Happy Birthday” in my head any time I wash my hands; it’s become an ingrained habit that I don’t even need to think about. Make it your own habit. If you don’t like “Happy Birthday”, there are lots of other handwashing songs to choose from; check out YouTube for lots of suggestions!
Does it need to be antimicrobial soap? No. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that antimicrobial soap is no more effective than plain soap. In fact, antimicrobial soap might cause antibiotic-resistant “super bugs” or cause skin irritation or allergies. Save your money and use plain soap.
If I use a foaming soap, can I skip the rubbing step? No. Rubbing your hands together in soap for at least 20 seconds is a key step to break up any grease or oil that might be holding germs close to your hands, especially sticky substances like mucus (snot). Remember not just to lather up your palms, but also the backs of your hands, in between the fingers, under your nails, and all the way down past your wrists.
Do those 20 seconds include rinsing? Nope! Spend a full 20 seconds lathering and rubbing and then fully rinse your hands under clean, running water.
What’s better: a towel or air dryer? We don’t know yet, so either option is probably OK as long as it’s clean and in good condition. If you’re using a reusable cloth towel, then remember to clean it regularly, especially if you share your bathroom with other people. If you are sick, then don’t share your towel with others! And make sure the towel is dry before you use it; briskly rubbing your hands against a wet dishtowel is not very effective at drying it.
What about hand sanitizer? Hand sanitizer can be a good option if you can’t get to a sink – if you can get any hand sanitizer these days, that is. Be sure to check the label; it should have at least 60% alcohol and not be past its expiration date. Yes, hand sanitizer can expire!
How much hand sanitizer do I need to use? Check the label, but in general you should squeeze or pump out enough hand sanitizer to cover all surfaces of both hands. Yes, you read that correctly: all surfaces, not just your palms. Remember that list of parts of your hands to lather and rub? You need to rub hand sanitizer into all of them as well.
How long do I need to rub hand sanitizer into my hands for? Until they are both dry. Generally speaking, this takes about 20 seconds.
Wait, wait, wait! I thought hand sanitizer was supposed to be quicker and easier than washing my hands. You’re telling me I need to rub all the same surfaces I need to rub when I’m handwashing, for as long as I need to spend handwashing? Yes, that’s correct. Hand sanitizer’s greatest benefit is its portability and use without running water. But, it’s not any quicker or easier than handwashing. If you do try to speed up your hand sanitizer regimen – say, with a smaller amount, a quicker scrub or not bothering to dry it – then it will be less effective.
I get it; we all lead busy lives, and spending 20 seconds or more cleaning your hands multiple times a day might seem like an awfully long time. But a pandemic is not the time to cut corners. Your loved ones and community are depending on you to stop the spread of COVID-19, and your kids are watching how you wash your hands and will model themselves after you. Set a healthy example. Wash your hands frequently, using soap and running water when available, for at least 20 seconds and teach your kids to do the same. We’re all relying on you.
🧼 Dr. B