Keeping Hands Clean | CDC

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Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Learn when and how you should wash your hands to stay healthy.

How Germs Spread

Washing hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections. Germs can spread from person to person or from surfaces to people when you:

• Touch your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
• Prepare or eat food and drinks with unwashed hands
• Touch surfaces or objects that have germs on them
• Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into hands and then touch other people’s hands or common objects

Key Times to Wash Hands

You can help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands often, especially during these key times when you are likely to get and spread germs:

• Before, during, and after preparing food
• Before and after eating food
• Before and after caring for someone at home who is sick with vomiting or diarrhea
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
• After handling pet food or pet treats
• After touching garbage

This list of key times to wash hands was developed based on data from a number of studies. There may be other key times when it is important to wash hands during the COVID-19 pandemic.

To prevent the spread of germs during the COVID-19 pandemic, you should also wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds:

• Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth
• After touching your mask
• After leaving a public place
• After touching objects or surfaces that may be frequently touched by other people, such as door handles, tables, gas pumps, shopping carts, or electronic cashier registers/screens

If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol to clean your hands.

Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can help stop germs from spreading from one person to another and in our communities—including your home, workplace, schools, and childcare facilities.

Follow these five steps every time.

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. 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.

Why? Read the science behind the recommendations.

Use Hand Sanitizer When You Can’t Use Soap and Water

You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.

Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations. However,

• Sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs.
• Hand sanitizers may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
• Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.

Caution! Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning if more than a couple of mouthfuls are swallowed. Keep it out of reach of young children and supervise their use.

How to Use Hand Sanitizer

1. Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).
2. Rub your hands together.
3. Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

CDC’s Communication Materials

Watch and share hand hygiene videos to raise awareness and educate your community about healthy hygiene behaviors.

CDC has health promotion materials to encourage kids and adults to make handwashing part of their everyday lives.

• ORDER FREE posters and display them in highly visible public areas, such as school bathrooms,
  work areas, and public restrooms.
• Share social media graphics and messages.
• Print stickers and place clings on bathroom mirrors.
• Distribute fact sheets to share information about hand hygiene for specific audiences.

For more information on handwashing, visit CDC’s Handwashing website or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.

• Frequent Questions About Hand Hygiene
• Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings
• Training and Education
• Global Handwashing Day
• Personal Hygiene During an Emergency

5 Handwashing Steps You Should Follow – Free Educational Video

Washing your hands is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick.

Proper handwashing involves five steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, and dry. To wash your hands most effectively:

• First, wet your hands with clean, running water.
• Apply soap and lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you need a timer, try singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
• Rinse your hands well.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or allow them to air dry. Don’t wipe them on your pant leg.

It’s especially important to wash your hands with soap and water:

• After using the bathroom
• Before eating or handling food
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing, and
• If your hands are visibly soiled.

If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.

This video highlights the steps listed above. Please feel free to share and distribute:

Handwashing is quick, simple, and effective! If you have any questions about handwashing or other ways to keep yourself healthy, contact your healthcare provider.

MedBridge has worked with Shelley Bhola, RN-BC, BSN, MSN, PHN, Infection Prevention Specialist, to put together five resources for facilities and providers to use for education and preparation during the coronavirus outbreak:

1. Community Preparedness Guidelines for COVID-19 – Article
2. Checklist for Inpatient Communities During the COVID-19 Outbreak – Article & Downloadable Flyer
3. COVID-19 Facility Policy – Downloadable Flyer
4. A Healthcare Provider’s Guide to Staying Healthy Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic – Article
5. Free Patient Education Videos: How to Protect Yourself Against the Coronavirus, and 5 Handwashing Steps You Should Follow [currently viewing]

MedBridge

Combining powerful digital patient care tools with the highest quality education, MedBridge is committed to making healthcare better for both providers and patients. Organizations across the care continuum use MedBridge to provide an enriched, digitally enabled experience that engages patients while streamlining and simplifying care. Designed with over a decade of insight from more than 300,000 clinicians and 25 million patients, MedBridge has helped thousands of organizations realize better patient outcomes.
Learn more

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, October 3). When and how to wash your hands. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

How to wash consciously and sustainably: five tips

Photo: Sebastian Herrmann / Unsplash

Taking care of your clothes in a sustainable way not only reduces your personal carbon footprint, but also saves money on washing and makes your clothes last longer. To do this, just follow a few simple tips

During its “life” every thing has a certain impact on the planet. Up to 80% of the carbon footprint of every item comes not at all from production, but from caring for it. For example, heating water uses a lot of electricity, and the amount of water also matters: in America alone, the average family does 300 wash cycles a year. Given that one wash requires an average of 110 liters of water, over 11 years (the average life of a washing machine) 363 thousand liters are consumed – this is more liquid than four people drink in their entire lives.

There are a few simple steps you can take to help you learn to erase more consciously.

One of the simplest and most effective steps to a more sustainable lifestyle is to wear clothes more than once, reducing the number of washes. To determine how often you need to clean a particular item of clothing, you can use the care hint on the clothing label. How to “read” the characters on the label, you will find here.

A rational approach to washing helps to extend the life of things: for example, to keep jeans brighter and fit better, designers recommend washing them once every two weeks or even once a month, but not more often.

Do not put off washing either – bacteria, viruses, dust mites and allergens can accumulate in fabrics.

How often to wash clothes

• After each wear – underwear, T-shirts, T-shirts, socks, tights, sportswear
• After two or three socks, pajamas and other sleepwear, blouses, shirts, sweaters made of cotton, silk or cashmere
• After five or six socks – skirts, trousers, woolen sweaters
• If necessary – jeans, sweatshirts

Now there are alternative cleaning methods that allow you to give things a fresh and tidy look without washing and ironing: for example, a “smart” clothes steamer will help you to remove dust and unpleasant odors, which will perform antibacterial and anti-allergic treatment and remove dirt on fabrics and smooth out wrinkles.

Some detergents contain ingredients that are harmful to the aquatic ecosystem. Phosphates are used in powders to reduce its cost – they reduce the hardness of water, increase the effectiveness of detergents and increase the effect of surfactants (various surfactants found in cleaning products). Water after such washing enters the reservoirs, where it creates conditions for the appearance of blue-green algae. Oxygen leaves the water – fish and other aquatic vegetation die and the balance of the eco-system is disturbed.

In addition, phosphates remain on the skin and can affect the immune system and lungs and cause allergies. You can read more about the dangers of surfactants here.

When choosing a laundry detergent, look for information on the label that it is biodegradable, phosphate-free and made from plant-based products – such products will be better for health and for the planet. In addition, they are better suited for sensitive skin, children and allergy sufferers.

What should not be in the powder:

• phosphates and phosphonates: sodium, potassium and calcium;
• zeolites (used instead of phosphates): they are slightly less harmful than phosphates, but can leave white marks on colored clothes and make fabrics rougher;
• anionic surfactants (or A-surfactants), or “sulfates”: sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), ammonium lauryl sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate;
• tensides: often used instead of sulfates and other surfactants, their content should not exceed 7%;
• chlorine;
• optical brighteners: they consist of luminescent dyes, whose particles settle on the fabric and emit ultraviolet rays from the spectrum of sunlight, turning them into blue, cyan or violet, which creates the effect of whiteness, dyes are not removed from the fabric.

Examples:

• Powder 1: 5-15% zeolites, nonionic surfactants, <5% anionic surfactants, polycarboxylates, palm oil vegetable soap, enzymes, cotton extract. Not the best choice : Lots of zeolites, although non-ionic surfactants are better than anionic ones.
• Powder 2: Sodium salts of coconut oil >30%, baking soda >15%, sodium percarbonate <5%, sodium silicate <5%, sodium citrate <5%. Almost no substances harmful to the environment and health .

Experiment – comparison of eco-friendly washing powders.

Another natural alternative to laundry detergent is soap nuts, dry fruits of the soap tree that produce lather when in contact with water. It is inexpensive and reusable, and after several uses it can be safely disposed of without worrying about the consequences for the environment.

Energy Star, an international consumer product certification organization, estimates that 90% of the energy used in washing clothes is used to heat water. Washing in cold water consumes less electricity – it is more profitable and more environmentally friendly.

It also reduces the amount of paint leaching from synthetics and microplastics, which are harmful to the environment. Scientists from the University of Leeds have calculated that cold and quick washing in wastewater turned out to be half as much plastic and cotton microparticles and fibers, as well as 74% less dye than when washing for a long time in hot water.

By the way, increasing the temperature is no longer a necessary condition for cleaning complex dirt and getting rid of bacteria. Modern washing machines do just that.

In order to effectively remove heavy soils even with eco-washing programs, modern washing machines have special features, such as an intensive soak and a foam generator, which increase the quality of cleaning of clothes without wasting too much time, including in quick and extra-fast washing modes.

To avoid wasting energy and water, try to load the machine completely. Devices of different capacities are available on the market, depending on the needs of the family. The most common type of load is up to 6 kg, but there are also more powerful models with a load of more than 10 kg.

Often, after the wash has already begun, it turns out that one or more items of clothing have been forgotten to be loaded into the drum. New technologies have solved this problem: instead of draining the water and opening the device or washing the rest of the clothes separately, you can add a forgotten sock or T-shirt to the rest of the items thanks to a special hatch at the top of the door for additional loading of laundry, available on a number of washing machine models.

To save money on dry cleaning, try not to buy clothes that are labeled “dry clean only”. Read the labels carefully: many items made of delicate fabrics can be washed by hand. And you can bring your winter clothes to the perfect look at the end of the season with the help of a steam wardrobe. And finally, don’t worry: even if sometimes you have to take your coat to the dry cleaner or break any of the other rules of “green” washing, you still achieved the main goal of reducing your negative impact on the environment.

Eco Wash Checklist:

• Wear items that allow this more than once.
• Choose an eco-powder with a minimum amount of harmful substances.
• Do not put too much powder: it will not be cleaner.
• Do not operate a washing machine when it is half empty.
• Wash briefly and in cool water.
• If the machine has an eco mode, use it.

In addition:

• If you are planning to buy a tumble dryer, pay attention to the energy class – dryers are more energy efficient than washing machines.
• Fabric softeners are harmful to health and the environment (not to mention that they are almost useless). Their eco-friendly alternative is white distilled vinegar.
• A few drops of essential oil can be added to the drum for fragrance.
• To reduce the amount of microplastics leached out of your clothes, you can wash your clothes in special laundry bags.

The material was prepared with the support of Samsung

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WASHING GEL – how to use: 3 rules

Liquid detergents are more environmentally friendly than conventional powders. They have a more delicate effect on the fibers of fabrics, wash at medium temperatures, allowing you to save energy. And most importantly, washing gel will provide excellent results if you know how to use it correctly.

To be soft: How to wash terry towels: 3 postulates

Washing gel: safety rules

Manufacturers claim that newfangled liquid products are safer and more convenient than powders. And all because the basis is enzymes – enzymes that easily decompose organic matter. Gels are more effective than powders in removing greasy stains, removing the smell of sweat, and coping with worn collars and cuffs. At the same time, unlike powder, they do not leave the smallest dust in the air, which is dangerous for allergy sufferers, children and pets.

However, before using the washing gel, it is worth thinking about precautions. The only serious danger posed by such a detergent is contact with the mucous membrane of the eye. In this case, it is important to flush the eyes with plenty of clean water and, if necessary, seek medical attention. But storing such a gel is simple – just screw the cap tightly and put it away from inquisitive kids and pets.

Nothing complicated: Semi-automatic washing machine: how to use unpretentious appliances, 5 step instructions

How to use the washing gel in the washing machine?

Concentrated products are ideal for the washing machine, but are considered less effective for hand washing. They wash well at moderate temperatures, but require a longer time and a certain type of exposure. In addition, the composition of the liquid detergent provides:

• active penetration deep into the fibers,
• water softening and washing machine protection,
• the effect of using fabric softener.

Thus, the washing gel concentrate is a great solution, of course, if you know how to use it.

Read: How to bleach tulle at home: 7 methods that give results

In which compartment is the “liquid powder” poured?

To figure out where to pour, read the instructions for the washer. Usually, if you have to wash with washing gel, it is poured into the compartment where the powder is poured.

Can I put washing gel in the drum?

The answer is yes! And this is the best way to solve the problem if the washing machine was originally designed to use powders. Washing gel is immersed together with a measuring container in a drum or poured onto dry laundry. Both options are valid and safe for things and the washing machine.

How much washing gel should be poured?

In the instructions for use, the manufacturer will certainly indicate the recommended amount of gel detergent, which will provide the best result, and will not harm either the machine or the laundry. This dosage varies from 70 to 150 ml. However, experienced housewives use a smaller amount of liquid.

Here’s what happens if we compare “theory” and practice:

Naturally, the amount of gel should be increased, provided that you have to wash a lot of dirty clothes or water is characterized by increased hardness.

What is the result? The use of gel for moderately soiled items allows you to limit yourself to the minimum dosage of detergent, and, in addition, use the quick wash cycle. But for stains and worn things, the entire traditional set of techniques is allowed: soaking and preliminary, local application to the contaminated area. A little more gel is added to the drum, but it is not recommended to increase the water temperature: it should not exceed forty degrees.

Informative article: How to wash sneakers: features of washing and drying 5 types of sneakers

How to wash with washing gel by hand?

There are many situations where hand washing is required. Washing in machines is not worth things stained with technical oils, petroleum products or aggressive solvents: there is a high risk that after that it will have to be repaired, eliminating damage to rubber or silicone elements. In addition, it is necessary to wash by hand in the basin products of a loose structure (knitted), made of expensive delicate fabrics, leatherette, fine lace.

Can I use washing gel? Despite the fact that it is intended for use in automatic machines, it is also suitable for hand washing in many respects superior to powder. The gel-like consistency dissolves perfectly in warm water, copes with its task and does not damage tissues.

Washing by hand, although more troublesome, is not problematic.

1. Laundry is sorted by colour, separating heavily soiled items.
2. To minimize effort and remove all dirt, clothes are pre-soaked in soapy water – no more than a couple of hours.
3. Soaked laundry is gently wrung out and washed in a bowl of warm water with a small amount of gel added.
4. Washed clothes are recommended to be rinsed at least twice, using first warm, then cool water.

Dry the laundry by hanging it on a clothesline or on a dryer.

So, the use of washing gels can be considered not only convenient, but universal. It is enough to follow three rules that will become the key to a perfect wash.

1. Add gel to the container or directly to the drum – the choice is not critical.
2. Using more gel than indicated in the instructions does not make sense. It is better to wash stains or resort to soaking.
3. It is not advisable to select an intensive mode with a higher temperature.

And then things will look perfect, and the machine will last for many years.