Tom how to wash properly. Daily hygiene lesson. How to wash your hands correctly? Why is it important to wash your hands properly?

This is precisely the conclusion reached by scientists from Michigan State University, who in 2013 conducted observations of 3,749 people who visited toilets in public places located on the university campus. The study was published in The Journal of Environmental Health.

An analysis of video recordings from cameras that captured almost 4 thousand people showed:

15% of men and 7% of women visited toilet room, they didn’t wash their hands at all. If people did do this, only 50% of men and 78% of women used soap, and the entire hand-washing procedure lasted only about six seconds. As it turned out, only 5% of toilet visitors washed their hands correctly.

According to the authors of the study, such figures surprised them: scientists hoped that the number of people able to wash their hands properly would be much greater. In addition, it turned out that not only small children, but also adults need to be reminded of the need for this procedure: if appropriate posters were hung in the restroom, visitors used soap and water much more often.

Experts from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say: To get rid of pathogens, you need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, while soaping them thoroughly. In order to measure this time, scientists even suggest singing the song “Happy Birthday to You!” - if you do it at about the same pace as Frank Sinatra or Marilyn Monroe, hand washing will be a success.

Regarding the water temperature for hand washing, here the opinions of experts differ. Quality Control Department food products And medicines recommends using water whose temperature is at least 38°C; some experts insist on 60°C.

There is only one study whose authors analyzed the evolution of "purity standards" from 1938 to 2002, and also examined how effective water different temperatures(from 4.4°C to 48.9°C cleanses the skin of microorganisms). The article was published in the journal Food Service Technology.

Lead author Barry Michaels said the water temperature recommended by different organizations varied widely, with the maximum being described as "as hot as you can stand it." The scientist believes that it is not worth risking the health of your own skin - in his opinion, a temperature of 60°C can already make hand washing so uncomfortable that a person will refuse it altogether. Michaels calls the range 20–40.5°C optimal - such water will get rid of bacteria and will not harm the skin.

The article also provides an analysis of the effectiveness of detergents various types. The researchers say that all four types of the most commonly found active ingredients (chloroxylenol, iodophor, ammonium compounds and triclosan) are equally effective, so the choice of soap can be based on individual preferences.

Paper towels are the safest

If people still sometimes ask themselves the question of how to wash their hands, then we usually don’t face the problem of drying our hands at all: there are electric dryers different types, paper and fabric towels... Many of us do not dry our hands at all after washing - they will dry themselves in a few minutes anyway.

Researchers analyzed which methods of drying hands can negate all efforts to cleanse them of microorganisms. The experiment involved 14 people who used two types of electric dryers (the first sent warm air to their hands, which evaporated water, the second “blowed” drops of water from the skin with powerful air currents), as well as towels.

Scientists measured the number of bacteria on the skin of the hands before and after drying them. It turned out that
the most in a safe way The best way to dry your hands is paper towels (fabric towels “accumulate” bacteria on themselves), but electric dryers help spread bacteria remaining on your hands to a large area of ​​skin.

If hands touch while drying under air currents, or a person rubs one palm against the other, this further increases the degree of contamination. More details about the results of the work can be found in The Journal of Applied Microbiology.

Hand washing increases optimism

Washing your hands isn't just about getting rid of bacteria; another research group found that doing so can make you feel more optimistic. The corresponding article was published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.

98 people took part in the experiment. They were asked to solve a problem that, by definition, was unsolvable. After the time allotted for completing the task had expired, the scientists asked one group of subjects to wash their hands, and the second - not, and then all participants in the experiment told the researchers about their feelings from failure and whether they were inclined to further attempts to find an answer to the problem. task.

It turned out that people who washed their hands were not so worried about failure and were very optimistic about their further work. However, when it came to direct action, they showed worst result: gave up faster, worked less actively.

Participants who didn't wash their hands were less eager to continue working, but when they did, they were more successful.

The study authors claim: physical cleansing of the skin of the hands can indeed be perceived by a person as a psychological “cleansing” - getting rid of the unpleasant sensations that a person experiences after a failure. And the disappearance of this sediment prevents us from taking active steps to improve the situation - why try when everything is already good? Therefore, psychologists advise anyone who wants to improve their mood by washing their hands to do it at the end of the working day, when there are no more urgent and important matters.

It would seem that such a banal activity as washing hands should not cause any difficulties for children, or even more so for adults. But as practice shows, not all of us perform this simple task correctly. Let's take a closer look at why, and most importantly, how to do it correctly in a variety of life situations.

Why do we wash our hands

Even children probably know the answer to this question: this is the only way to remove bacteria from the surface of the skin. However, if you approach this from a psychological point of view, then everything will turn out to be even more interesting, because among the most popular reasons, experts highlight getting rid of guilt, moral growth, washing away bad luck, etc. It is difficult to judge how helpful this method is for solving various problems of this kind. Among the main reasons to wash your hands with soap are the following:

• contact with wound surfaces of the body;
• upcoming contact with food;
• contact with animals or their feces;
• garbage collection;
• use of contact lenses;
• going to the toilet;
• travel on public transport;
• severely soiled palms;
• sneezing or blowing your nose into your hand.

Did you know? At the end XVIII-early XIX century, in Russia soap was considered an unaffordable luxury for the majority of the common population. To wash their bodies, the villagers used half-raw potatoes and balls made from fern ash.

It's hard to believe, but among all the members big family there can only be one person who washes their hands correctly.

Most people are completely unaware of the rules of washing, which is why the procedure performed will be ineffective. If you don't believe me, read the following requirements.

In everyday life at home

If you think that being at home, you are protected from microbial invasion on the surface of your body, then you will have to be upset: this is far from the case. It is simply impossible to live in completely sterile conditions, so you need to wash your hands whenever you come into contact with food. For correct execution procedure, it is important to adhere to the following instructions:

If you only rinse your fingers without paying due attention to the back of your hand, then germs will quickly spread over the entire surface. Washing your hands only at first glance seems like an elementary procedure, but for proper results it is important not to rush and always use soap.

In medicine according to sanitary standards

Medical workers are more susceptible than other people to attacks from various harmful microorganisms, as they regularly encounter hotbeds of their spread. Moreover, in this case we are talking not only about one’s own safety, but also about the safety of other people who can easily be “rewarded” with the resulting infection.

Important! Depending on the doctor’s profile, in addition to soap, a special antiseptic can be used, because the instructions for disinfecting the skin are quite extensive.

IN traditional version(during normal cleaning) no disinfectants are used, and the washing procedure itself is as follows:

• To begin with, you need to remove the rings and bracelets from your hands and roll up your sleeves.
• Then lather your palms until a thick foam forms and rinse with warm water (helps open pores).
• Repeat the procedure again to completely wash away all pathogenic microorganisms, but now paying special attention to the fingers and the spaces between them.
• Washing away the remaining soap big amount water, you need to dry your hands with a paper towel, with which you turn off the tap itself without touching it (when drying, your hands should be raised vertically, fingers up).

• too much hot water will enhance the cleaning effect, washing away an important protective layer from the surface of the skin;
• when performing treatment before upcoming medical procedures, wash hands up to the elbows;
• It is advisable to use medium-sized soap pieces, as they are easier to squeeze in the palm of your hand.

Children in kindergarten

If at home it is easier to keep track of a specific baby, then in kindergarten sources of microbes become much more numerous. After active games with their peers, children must wash their hands well and only after that sit down dinner table. Usually, teachers strictly monitor this, and the children themselves in the team are more willing to perform hygiene procedures. The washing process, in this case, involves the following steps:

• Roll up the sleeves on clothes.
• Open the tap.
• Take a bar of soap and lather your hands.
• Wash off the resulting foam.
• Close the water tap.
• Shake off your palms and dry them with a towel.
• Roll out the sleeves.

Important!Children perceive the necessary information more easily if it is visually reinforced. That is why it is better for educators to print out these instructions in the form of pictures and place them above the washbasins.

Children may not remember the sequence of actions performed the first time, but together with posters, role-playing games and conversations on proper hand washing, success will soon be guaranteed.

How often should you wash your hands?

The frequency of washing depends on professional activity and personal characteristics of a person. The procedure must be performed before preparing or eating food, before treating a wound surface, removing or inserting contact lenses, and after visiting the toilet, coming into contact with raw foods (especially meat), taking out the trash, and covering your nose with your hand when sneezing. , and in a number of other cases where contact with microbes was possible. As for the duration of washing, this process should not take less than 20 seconds, with the palms completely soaped.

Why you need to wash your hands after using the toilet

Regardless of which toilet you visited (home or public), you must wash your hands without fail. This is one of the most dangerous places in terms of the spread of harmful microorganisms, and you should not think that they multiply only under the toilet rim.

By pressing the flush button or opening the door to the toilet, you are already exposed to infection, and in the future there is every chance of eating germs along with your next meal or rewarding your loved ones with them. Getting into human body, they affect the stomach, intestines and other organs, causing not only indigestion, but also much more serious consequences (for example, the appearance of E. coli or helminthic infestation). It doesn’t matter whether you are at home or using a public restroom, you must wash your hands after using the toilet, using soap.

Did you know?One of the islands in the Aegean Sea (belongs to Greece) can rightfully be called soapy. The fact is that the ground on Kimolos, when exposed to precipitation, becomes covered with real foam, which is why local residents use it for washing clothes and bathing.

Why you should wash your hands before eating

“Diseases of unwashed hands” are scary for both adults and children, but as for the latter, the consequences of eaten microbes can be much worse. Unlike an adult body, a child’s body produces less of hydrochloric acid, and digestive enzymes are not so active, which makes it easier for viruses and worm eggs to pass from the stomach to the intestines. Subsequently, the high permeability of the intestinal mucosa contributes to the passage of harmful microorganisms into the blood.

Of course, such an outcome of events is equally undesirable for people of any age, but as for children, even a small amount of microbes that enter the stomach can cause problems in the functioning of the gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and even nervous systems. Therefore, it is much easier to wash your hands before eating than to treat illnesses that appear later.

Is it possible to wash your hands after gel polish (shellac)

Visitors to nail salons often want to wash their palms, and do so immediately after applying gel polish. Some experts talk about the possibility of the coating peeling off due to exposure of the material to water, while others convince that nothing bad will happen. Probably, the truth lies somewhere between these statements, because a lot depends on the quality of the varnish and the time of its contact with water.

The final adhesion of shellac to the surface of the nail plate occurs only 12 hours after application. To avoid damaging your fresh manicure, you should wait at least a few hours after the procedure to wash your hands.

Can I wash my hands with dishwashing detergent?

The main components of a standard dishwashing detergent are EDTA, surfactants, dyes, aromatic ingredients and, in some cases, special components that can protect the skin of the hands. However, this is only an approximate list of what can be read on the label, and unscrupulous manufacturers generally prefer to remain silent about some components. That is why you should not fully trust inscriptions like “take care of the skin of your hands”, “protects from drying out”, etc., because in many cases these statements are not supported by anything (the composition simply does not contain extracts of all the mentioned plants).

Detergents can indeed effectively remove dirt, but it is still not worth using this method often, especially when we are talking about cheap products with very questionable composition.

Important!When choosing household chemicals You should always take into account the possibility of individual sensitivity to a particular component of a particular product. Someone can use dishwashing detergent for months for other purposes, while for others it will be enough just a few times to get a serious allergy.

Washing your hands in a dream: what does it mean?

For those people who clearly remember their dreams, their interpretation arouses considerable curiosity, even if in a dream you are simply washing your hands. In fact, it is not only the action itself that is important, but also individual characteristics(for example, the type of water or the use of another liquid), on which the exact interpretation depends. Let's look at some of the most typical explanations for such dreams:

• wash under jet clean water and with soap - for quick participation in the celebration;
• washing your palms with milk means meeting old friends and having fun together;
• washing with snow - to the realization of plans, the fulfillment of desires;
• If your hands are very dirty and you try to wash them without soap, while pressing hard, you will soon have to solve an important problem yourself.

You shouldn’t completely trust dream books, because there are many solutions for the same situation. different interpretations, and by being upset (or happy) in advance, you will subconsciously set yourself up for exactly this outcome of events.

As for washing your hands itself, this is undoubtedly a very important ritual that should not be forgotten either in a dream or in real life. Come to this issue pay attention, and there will be much less health troubles in your life.

“Dirty hands” are one of the main reasons for high child mortality in Asia and Africa. It is through dirty hands pathogens of diseases such as cholera, viral pneumonia, hepatitis, influenza and ARVI enter the human body.

Most infections occur because people do not wash their hands. And you need to wash them before eating, after using the toilet, after contact with animals or sick people, after traveling in transport.

Due to the fact that people rarely wash their hands, apartments turn into hotbeds of infection, because germs accumulate on door handles, switches, table surfaces, in bathrooms and toilets, on clothes, on towels and on bed linen.

It is dirty hands that are the most common reason development of stomach and intestinal infections.

How to wash your hands correctly?

The most common mistake is when a person with dirty hands takes the handle of a water tap, opens it, washes his hands and closes it. As a result, all the dirt from the faucet handle remains on your hands.

The overall effectiveness of this hygiene procedure depends on whether you wash your hands correctly.

How to wash your hands:

Open the tap

- soap your hands,

- lather the faucet handle with soap,

- wash off the soap from the tap handle and hands,

- soap your hands again - wash the inside and back side palms,

- don’t forget about your nails - try to “rub” the soap under them,

- rub the soap for at least 30 seconds,

- wash off the soap,

- Close the tap,

- use a towel.

Hands must be washed:

Without everything - be sure to remove jewelry from your hands, which needs to be washed separately.

With soap. Soap molecules themselves do an excellent job of removing dirt.

With foam - the more soap foam there is, the cleaner the skin will become. Foam is an air bubble surrounded by films of soap molecules, which are “dirt cleaners.” That is, the foam mechanically removes dirt.

With plenty of water - because after rubbing your hands with soap, you need to rinse off the foam as thoroughly as possible with water. Water will wash away not only dirt, but also soap film.

You should not often use bactericidal soap, which is popular thanks to advertising - it removes everything from the skin indiscriminately, that is, not only pathogenic microbes, but also beneficial ones that protect the body from the introduction of harmful microorganisms. Therefore, it is possible and necessary to wash the skin with bactericidal soap only when and in those places when wounds, abrasions, cracks, cuts and other damage appear.

If you have allergies or very delicate skin, you should not use soap with additives. In this case, it is recommended to wash with baby soap, which is made using a special method.

If your skin is oily, you can use any cosmetic or toilet soap.

In any case, when buying soap, carefully study the packaging to know whether it is natural or synthetic.

Synthetic soap washes the skin too well, washing away absolutely the entire layer of sebum, so it is not suitable for dry skin.

Hand washing is one of the most effective hygiene procedures. It is accessible to anyone and prevents the mass spread of infectious disease pathogens. Significantly reduces the risk of intestinal and viral infections.

Hand hygiene with soap has a wide spectrum of protection.

It shows significant preventive results and is on par with vaccination. How to wash your hands correctly modern conditions we will tell you in this article

In a number of situations it is necessary mandatory hand washing hygiene with soap. Among them, the following points stand out:

• before working with food (especially carefully before and after cutting meat);
• before eating;
• after visiting any public places: shops, playgrounds, buses and other transport;
• after touching money, the maximum amount of bacteria accumulates on it;
• after physical contact with animals or their waste;
• after the apartment has been cleaned;
• if there is any obvious contamination on the hands;
• before and after any medical procedure: wound treatment, dressing, massage;
• before putting in dentures or lenses;
• after returning home from any walk, even if you did not visit public places, since in any case, you touched the elevator button, railings or front door handle;
• after contact with sick people (especially those with infections);
• if you sneeze or cough, cover your mouth with your hand. Bacteria will settle on the palm, they must be washed off so as not to infect other people.