How To Wash Hands Properly & Other Hygiene Tips

One of the most basic and easiest hygiene habits we are taught as kids is washing our hands. Ideally, we were expected to wash our hands thoroughly before and after several activities. But if we are being honest, how many of us followed it to a T? Kids are not 100 percent diligent about washing hands, especially when no one is checking on them. Neither are adults if numbers are any indication.

‘But what is the big deal about washing hands?’ we find ourselves asking each other. However, things do get clearer in the light of diseases and even the outbreak of pandemics such as the COVID-19. Washing hands is an important step in maintaining personal and environmental hygiene, keeping diseases at bay, and also inculcating a sense of discipline.

How to Wash Hands Properly?

Washing your hands with soap and water is the most effective and easy way of washing your hands to get them clean of dirt, grime, germs, and everything that you don’t want to be on your hands. But are we doing it right? According to ‘The State of Handwashing in 2017’ report released by Global Handwashing Partnership, overall hand hygiene compliance is rarely at satisfactory levels around the world including settings such as schools and healthcare facilities.

What could explain poor compliance are 2017 statistics by UNICEF which say that about three out of five people had basic handwashing facilities. To sum it up, awareness around hand hygiene, especially hand washing, remains bleak. Is it time to revisit the basics? Why not!

Proper handwashing is done with soap and water and gets all surfaces of your hands clean. Here is a step-by-step guide to washing hands.

• Wet your hands with running water.
• Take a required amount of soap on the palm of your hand.
• Rub your palms against each other.
• Put your right palm on the back of your left hand and clean between your left-hand fingers. Repeat the same for the right hand.
• Intertwine fingers palm-to-palm and repeat a similar motion.
• Next, hook the fingertips of each hand onto the finger bases of the other. This cleans the fingertips as well as the bases.
• Wrap the fingers of one hand around the thumb of the other and clean in a rotational motion. Repeat for the other hand.
• Lastly, rub the center of your palms with the fingertips in circular motions for both hands.
• Rinse the soap off with water.
• During each of the cleansing motions, count to ten. If you are in a public restroom or washbasin/sink, ensure your hands don’t directly touch the tap water. Close the tap using the tissue you have used to wipe your hands or direct the tap with your elbow.