Cleaning your hands often is one of the best ways to stop the spread of infections.
Washing your hands frequently has been shown to significantly decrease the frequency of many common infections, including gastrointestinal illness, colds, COVID-19, and influenza (the “flu”). Not only will it keep you healthy, but it also helps prevent the spread of infectious diseases to others.
Cleaning your hands helps prevent illness and reduces the risk of infecting others. If you don't clean your hands well before coming into contact with others, you can infect them with the germs on your hands. Other people can also get sick from the germs that unwashed hands leave on shared objects such as doorknobs, keyboards and other equipment in the home or workplace.
- Before and after preparing food, eating or feeding someone else
- After using the washroom or helping someone use the washroom
- After changing diapers
- After sneezing, coughing or using a tissue
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- After handling pets or other animals
- After handling animal waste
- After handling shared objects
- Use plain soap that does not contain antibacterial agents. Plain soap will remove the dirt and grease that attracts bad bacteria or viruses
- Plain soap will not kill the good bacteria that live on the hands
- Using antibacterial products unnecessarily increases the concentration of antibiotics in the water supply and in the environment and may contribute to antibiotic resistance
- Wet your hands with water
- Apply plain soap to your hands and rub together for 20 seconds (the length of time it takes to sing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star or Happy Birthday)
- Wash the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails
- Rinse your hands well for 10 seconds under running water, using a rubbing motion
- Wipe and dry your hands gently with a paper towel or a clean towel. Drying them vigorously can damage the skin
- Turn off the tap using the paper towel so that you do not re-contaminate your hands. When using a public bathroom, use the same paper towel to open the door when you leave
Areas with water advisories
It's safe to wash your hands with soap if you are living in a community with a Boil Water Advisory (BWA) or a Do Not Consume (DNC) advisory. However, if you are living under a Do Not Use (DNU) advisory, you should wash your hands with bottled water.
- These products need to be at least 60% alcohol to be effective, so check the label.
- Alcohol-based hand rubs don’t work if your hands are greasy or visibly dirty. These products don’t clean your hands and are not a substitute for handwashing. If your hands are visibly soiled, it is best to use soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use a product like a wet wipe to remove dirt and residue before using alcohol-based hand rub.
- Rub your hands together until the product has evaporated.
- If dry skin is a problem, use a moisturizing lotion.
- Alcohol-based hand rubs are safe for children if used with supervision.
Do not use on infants. Alcohol-based hand rubs are poisonous if ingested. Children should not put their hands in their mouths or rub their eyes until the alcohol evaporates (about 15 seconds).
Read the product label to reduce the risk of adverse effects.
Do not make your own hand sanitizer
If you think someone has swallowed any amount of hand sanitizer, call your local poison control centre.
For the BC Drug and Poison Information Centre, call 1-800-567-8911.
If washing hands is not possible, children can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that is approved by Health Canada.
Please read labels carefully as some products are for adults only and should not be used by people who are pregnant or breastfeeding/chestfeeding.
Hand sanitizer is not recommended for use on infants as their skin is still developing and changing.
Health professionals
Health professionals should follow their workplace hand hygiene and infection prevention control practices.
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