THE single most important way to prevent infections is effective hand hygiene - the act of cleaning your hands.

The typical person's hands contain millions of microbes. Most are harmless but some may be disease-causing germs.

Regular hand-washing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick and prevent the spread of infections to others.

You probably don't realise it but you frequently touch your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs from unwashed hands can enter your body from these areas and make you sick.

Removing germs through hand washing also prevents food contamination and the transfer of germs to surfaces.

It is recommended that you wash your hands for at least 15 seconds -

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
• After touching rubbish

How best to clean your hands

Washing hands is the best way to reduce the number of microbes on them.

Using water and soap:

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap and apply soap.
• 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.
• Scrub your hands for at least 15 seconds.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.
• Using hand sanitiser:
• Squirt enough hand rub product to cover both your hands.
• Roll to distribute over palms, back of hands and between fingers.
• Rub hands together until dry.

FACT: Studies have found that sanitisers with an alcohol concentration between 60-95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration.

More hand hygiene tips

• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow, instead of into your hands.
• Wear disposable gloves when handling food or cleaning up blood or any other body fluid.
• When using cloth towels to dry your hands, hang the towel up to dry after each use, and launder the towels regularly.

Did you know?

Today is World Hand Hygiene Day. The day is declared by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and encourages patients and their family members to join health workers in their efforts to practice good hand hygiene with the message 'Save Lives: Clean Your Hands.'