National Handwashing Awareness Week... December 1-7, 2024

By: Nancy Johnson, LPN Training and Special Projects Nurse

With flu season in full swing, we may find ourselves stocking up on antibacterial wipes, tissues, cold medicine,  and vitamins so we are prepared to combat any ailment that comes our way. Even with an arsenal to fight the virus that dares to invade our homes, we can not forget our most effective line of defense... Handwashing. According to the Centers for Disease Control, washing your hands can reduce your risk of respiratory infections by 21% and gastrointestinal infections by 40%. To effectively wash your hands you should:

For more information on infection prevention and handwashing please visit www.pchc.org.

Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Handwashing facts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/data-research/facts-stats/index.html

• Wet your hands with clean, running water
• Apply enough soap to cover all surfaces of your hands and wrists
• Lather and rub your hands together briskly. Scrub all surfaces of your hands, including fingertips, fingernails, and wrists
• Scrub for at least 20 seconds
• Rinse your hands and wrists under clean, running water
• Dry your hands and wrists with a clean paper towel or let them air-dry
• Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet