When to wash your hands? Hand hygiene. Free infographics to download.

WHO reports have consistently emphasized the role of hand hygiene in health prevention. Something as simple as thoroughly washing your hands can prevent the spread of many diseases. Especially in developing countries, proper hand hygiene is a challenge. On the other hand, in highly developed countries, there is talk of excessive hygiene, which may be related to the frequency of allergies. Where is the golden mean? When should you wash your hands?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Hand hygiene in healthcare facilities
Hand washing and the flu
Hand hygiene in every situation
Hand washing is essential, but?
Education on hygiene
Infographics - when to wash your hands? (free infographic to download)

Hand hygiene in healthcare facilities

A professional group that should pay particular attention to hygiene and properly wash and disinfect their hands are medical and paramedical service workers. According to the WHO report ("WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care - Summary", World Health Organization, 2009), bacteria transmitted on the hands of a doctor are the most common cause of endemic infections, also known as hospital-acquired infections. This is a difficult situation because hospital bacteria are resistant to antibiotics and the diseases they cause have a longer and more difficult course. Therefore, healthcare workers should follow recommendations regarding the frequency and method of hand washing.

The basic recommendations for medical service workers in this regard are to wash their hands:

1. between visits with patients - this helps prevent the spread of diseases from one patient to another,
2. before making contact with particularly vulnerable patients, including premature newborns,
3. between performing different procedures and tests during one patient's visit,
4. before examining, dressing, or suturing open wounds,
5. before any surgical procedures,
6. after removing disposable gloves,
7. after contact with medical waste,
8. after contact with any potentially disease-carrying secretions, such as blood or saliva, regardless of whether disposable gloves were used,
9. after contact with a patient infected with hospital strains of bacteria.

Implementing these recommendations is related to properly equipped hand washing stations. Each office should have its own sink and a dispenser with hand disinfectant and disposable paper towels, so that doctors or nurses can wash their hands regularly without leaving their workstations.

Hand washing and the flu

Daily hand washing also plays an important role. The risk associated with poor hygiene can be felt, for example, during the autumn-winter season, when there is an increase in cold and flu cases, especially in large groups of people, such as schools, workplaces, or shopping centers. It is not possible to avoid contact with pathogens, but the risk of infection can be minimized by thoroughly washing hands after returning home. Using public transportation, visiting government offices, or going to preschool are sufficient reasons to wash hands very thoroughly.

During a cold, it is also important to wash your hands regularly to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria. It is essential to wash your hands after using a tissue, sneezing, and coughing. Although a cold is usually transmitted through droplets, simply touching your face with infected hands can transfer viruses and bacteria.

Hand hygiene in every situation

It is worth emphasizing that hand hygiene is essential every day, in every situation, not just during illness. Viruses, bacteria, and parasites can also be transmitted through hands, which may not show immediate symptoms. It is not uncommon for patients to be unaware of parasitic diseases, especially since their diagnosis can be difficult and ineffective. To prevent infection of oneself and others, it is important to follow hygiene practices.

It is especially recommended to wash your hands:

• after returning home,
• before preparing and eating meals,
• after using the toilet,
• before performing personal care procedures,
• after cleaning,
• after contact with a sick person,
• before and after changing a child's diaper,
• before putting on contact lenses,
• after contact with animals, their food and toys,
• after finishing work in the garden,
• after emptying the trash can.

Washing hands is essential, but?

If washing hands is indicated as such an important element of disease prevention, why is there still such a problem with practicing hygiene?

The main cause in the world is limited or complete lack of access to clean water and hygiene products. This factor is not only typical for developing countries. In developed countries, it also happens that public toilets are not properly equipped, for example, there is no soap or no way to dry hands because there is a lack of paper towels or hand dryers. Meanwhile, proper hand hygiene requires the use of appropriate cleaning products and drying them, so simply rinsing hands with water and leaving them wet is not enough for them to dry on their own. Another reason for not following hygiene rules are cultural traditions and local beliefs. As stated by WHO, the belief that hands should only be washed when visibly dirty (e.g. covered in mud or grease) is still strong in many cultural circles. The threat of diseases is not a motivation for more frequent hand washing.

In developed countries, different reasons are indicated. Based on the WHO report, some reasons for inadequate hand washing include:

• intensive work and lack of time,
• using disposable gloves as a substitute for hand washing,
• excessive number of patients compared to medical staff,
• lack of access to properly equipped toilets - lack of liquid soap and paper towels or hand dryers,
• failure to provide employees with adequate hand washing facilities,
• skin irritations and diseases caused by cleaning agents,
• lack of knowledge about the connection between hygiene and health,
• lack of consistent hand washing guidelines.

Among the above reasons, there are some that can be immediately eliminated. A well-equipped toilet should be mandatory in the workplace, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and other public places. Standardly, to maintain hygienic conditions, a public toilet is equipped with a liquid soap dispenser and hand dryer or a container for paper towels along with a trash can.

Education in hygiene

According to research conducted by the authors of the book "Involving Children For Hand Washing Behavior Change: Repeated Message Delivery to Foster Action", education plays a significant role in preventing diseases transmitted through hands. The authors emphasize that the appropriate time to learn hygiene and hand washing rules is between the ages of 6-10, which is the primary school learning period. At this age, appropriate attitudes and habits are formed. It is worth taking advantage of this to teach proper hand washing and raise awareness of the connection between hygiene and health.

In addition to education, it is important to teach proper hand washing techniques. Many people do this task inaccurately, skipping important areas, washing their hands too quickly, or neglecting the drying stage. Education is supported by visual instructions for hand washing and hand disinfection instructions. It is recommended to hang them in toilets, doctor's offices, laboratories, restaurants, or production facilities. They serve not only an educational purpose but also serve as a reminder.

Infographics - when to wash hands?

We recommend downloading free infographics on when to wash your hands. We have prepared four infographics in A4 format, which can be downloaded, printed, and hung by sinks.

The infographics are diverse depending on the target group: for healthcare workers (hospitals, clinics, treatment rooms, etc.), for workers in contact with food (gastronomy, food production and processing facilities, etc.), for children (in schools, kindergartens, care and educational facilities, sports and recreation facilities) and general for adults for use at work and at home.

Download the free infographic: Hand hygiene - recommendations for workers in contact with food

Download a free infographic: Hand hygiene - recommendations for healthcare workers

Download a free infographic: Hand hygiene for children - when to wash hands?

Download a free infographic: Hand hygiene - general recommendations

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