HANDWASHING

•Considered as single most important and

basic preventive technique for interrupting
possible infectious process.
 Two types
1. Medical technique
2. Surgical technique
When to wash your hands?
 The most important time to remember to
wash our hands is after using the toilet.
 After playing with animals.
 Before eating, preparing a meal, or handling
food.
 After coughing, sneezing, or blowing your
nose.
 After handling money.
The best way to wash your hands…
1. When washing your hands:
Make sure to use a lot of soap.
Use warm water.
Rub hands together vigorously
Rub together for 20 seconds.
2. Most important part of your hands is your fingernails.
3. After washing your hands, use a paper towel to turn off
the faucet.
•A vigorous short rubbing together of
all rising the surfaces of soap lathered
hands followed by under stream of
running water.
PURPOSE:
To prevent possible transfer of
microorganisisms.
To reduce the risk of cross
contamination among clients.
EQUIPMENT
Liquid soap/soap bar with soap
dish
Hand towel
Tissue paper
Orange stick
PROCEDURE:
1. Inspect hands, observing for visible soiling,
breaks or cuts in the skin and cuticles.
2. Assemble the equipment.
3. Remove jewelry and watch and push long
sleeves above the elbows. Don’t allow the
uniform to touch the sink.
4. Adjust the water to appropriate
temperature and flow.
5. Wet elbow to hands under the running
water always keeping hands lower than
elbow.

6. Lather the hand with liquid soap or if bar

soap is used wash soap and lather hand. If
bar soap is accidentally dropped, repeat
the procedure.

7. Return bar soap dish without touching the

dish.
8. Wash hands thoroughly using firm circular
motion and friction on back of the hands,
palms and wrists. Wash each finger
individually paying special attention to
areas between fingers and knuckles by
interlacing fingers and thumbs moving
hands back and forth. Relather if
necessary.

9. Rinse elbow down to hands completely,

keeping hands lower than elbows.
10. Clean fingernails carefully under running
water using an orange stick.
11. Turn off faucets with hand towel or tissue
paper.
12. Dry hands thoroughly with towel starting
from the fingertips, hands and then wrist
and forearm.
13. Use hand lotion if desired.
14. Inspect hands and nails for cleanliness.