We all know that proper hand washing is vital to preventing illnesses. We use our hands every day for various tasks. It then comes as no surprise that our hands have more germs than feet. Our hands even have more bacteria than public surfaces.

Here are some reasons you should wash your hands.

Hand washing prevents the spread of infections

Proper hand washing with soap removes germs from your hands. This helps with prevention because:

  • People often touch their eyes, nose & mouth, even without realising.
  • Germs from unwashed hands can get into food & drinks when handled. This can also lead to food spoiling. Under the right conditions, these germs can make people sick when ingested.
  • Germs can also be transferred to other items upon contact with unwashed hands. This is especially important if the items are constantly used by very young children, who often put those items in their mouth.
  • It helps to prevent diarrhoea, food poisoning and respiratory diseases.

NOT hand washing harms children around the world.

  • About 1.8 million children worldwide die from easily preventable diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the two top killers around the world.
  • Handwashing with soap could protect 1 out of 3 children from diarrheal diseases and almost 1 out of 5 children with respiratory diseases from pneumonia.
  • While many people wash their hands regularly, very few do so properly and with soap. Knowing how to wash your hands thoroughly and using soap greatly increases the effectiveness of germ removal.
  • Easy access to hand washing education and soap can help improve school attendance in children.
  • Good hand washing practices during early childhood might help improve child development.

Hand washing helps in the battle against antibiotic resistance.

Preventing sickness reduces the use & need to prescribe antibiotics. Antibiotics are often over-prescribed, leading to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria. It can also help prevent people from getting sick with antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The conclusion?

Wash your hands when you come into contact with public surfaces, before & after food preparation, after using the toilet and before touching your eyes, nose & mouth.

Not sure about how to wash your hands thoroughly? Follow the 5 Steps to Clean Hands!