Key points to remember about hygiene and hand washing

Put soap on your hands and wash for 20 seconds. Dry your hands thoroughly.

• keeping your hands clean is one of the best ways to keep from getting sick and spreading illnesses
• cleaning your hands gets rid of germs you pick up from other people, from the surfaces you touch and from the animals you come in contact with

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When should I wash my hands?

• before eating
• before, during, and after handling or preparing food
• after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose
• after playing outside
• after having contact with animals, their toys, leashes, or waste
• after going to the toilet

... and ...

• after touching something that could be contaminated (such as a rubbish bin, cleaning cloth, drain, or soil)
• before dressing a wound, giving medicine or putting in contact lenses
• after contact with blood or body fluids (like vomit, nasal secretions, or saliva)
• after changing a nappy
• more often when someone in your home is sick
• whenever they look dirty

How should I wash my hands?

If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based wipe or hand gel.

• wet your hands under clean running water - use warm water if available
• put soap on your hands and wash for 20 seconds - liquid soap is best
• rub hands together until the soap makes bubbles
• rub on both sides of both hands…
• and in between fingers and thumbs…
• and round and round both hands
• rinse all the soap off under clean running water - use warm water if available
• dry your hands all over thoroughly - using a paper towel is best (or, if at home, a clean dry towel)