Experts Say You’re Probably Washing Your Hands Wrong, Here’s The Right Way

We all know to wash our hands with soap and water to remove germs but according to experts, You’re Probably Washing Your Hands Wrong, Here’s The Right Way To Do It… According to an interview, infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, MD, senior scholar at the John’s Hopkins Center for Health Security says most people are not washing their hands properly nor as often as they should.

“Most people are likely washing their hands for five to 10 seconds, and not sufficiently taking enough time to actually have the cleansing action of the soap.”

Sure, this very simple thing may seem like a no-brainer. After all, many of us are taught to wash our hands from such a young age, it’s hard to forget. Much like riding a bike, once we’ve learned it, we know it. But, when experts say most of us do it wrong, it’s something worth listening to. After all, hand washing is the number one way to help cease the spread of germs. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), if you wash your hands the right way, you can prevent up to 40 percent of diarrheal illnesses and up to 21 percent of respiratory illnesses like the common cold and the flu.

If you do it the wrong way, by doing a mediocre job of washing your hands, you could still pass germs on or infect yourself. YUCK!

In fact, the CDC states that:

“About 1.8 million children under the age of 5 die each year from diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the top two killers of young children around the world .”

Even more interesting, proper handwashing could prevent this:

Handwashing with soap could protect about 1 out of every 3 young children who get sick with diarrhea and almost 1 out of 5 young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia.

So, how can you ensure you and your family is properly washing their hands?

Again, the CDC has very detailed instructions on this:

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Seems easy enough, right? It’s a good thing to keep in mind before cold and flu season rises this year. Especially if you have a baby and want to help keep RSV away.