Answer:
Washing your hands is particularly important when you’re in situations where you’re more likely to acquire or transmit germs. This includes:
before, during, and after you prepare food
before and after you:
consume foods or drinks
are exposed to someone with an infectious illness
enter a hospital, doctor’s office, nursing home, or other healthcare setting
clean and treat a cut, burn, or wound
take medication, such as pills or eye drops
use public transportation, especially if you touch railings and other surfaces
touch your phone or other mobile device
go to the grocery store
after you:
cough, sneeze, or blow your nose
touch visibly dirty surfaces, or when there’s visible dirt on your hands
handle money or receipts
have touched a gas pump handle, ATM, elevator buttons, or pedestrian crossing buttons
shake hands with others
engage in sexual or intimate activity
have used the bathroom
change diapers or clean bodily waste off others
touch or handle garbage
touch animals, animal feed, or waste
touch fertilizer
handle pet food or treats
How to prevent dry or damaged skin
Dry, irritated, raw skin from frequent handwashing can raise the risk of infections. Damage to your skin can change the skin flora. This, in turn, can make it easier for germs to live on your hands.
To keep your skin healthy while maintaining good hand hygiene, skin experts suggest the following tips:
Avoid hot water, and use a moisturizing soap. Wash with cool or lukewarm water. Hot water isn’t more effective than warm water, and it tends to be more drying. Opt for liquid (instead of bar) soaps that have a creamy consistency and include humectant ingredients, such as glycerin.
Use skin moisturizers. Look for skin creams, ointments, and balms that help keep water from leaving your skin. These include moisturizers with ingredients that are:
occlusive, such as lanolin acid, caprylic/capric triglycerides, mineral oil, or squalene
humectants, such as lactate, glycerin, or honey
emollients, such as aloe vera, dimethicone, or isopropyl myristate
Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers that contain skin conditioners. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with humectants help ease skin dryness, while emollients replace some of the water stripped by alcohol.
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What should you do if soap and water aren’t available?
FDA NOTICE
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announcedTrusted Source recalls of several hand sanitizers due to the potential presence of methanol.
MethanolTrusted Source is a toxic alcohol that can have adverse effects, such as nausea, vomiting, or headache, when a significant amount is used on the skin. More serious effects, such as blindness, seizures, or damage to the nervous system, can occur if methanol is ingested. Drinking hand sanitizer containing methanol, either accidentally or purposely, can be fatal. See here for more information on how to spot safe hand sanitizers.
If you purchased any hand sanitizer containing methanol, you should stop using it immediately. Return it to the store where you purchased it, if possible. If you experienced any adverse effects from using it, you should call your healthcare provider. If your symptoms are life threatening, call emergency medical services immediately.
When handwashing isn’t feasible or your hands aren’t visibly soiled, disinfecting your hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be a viable option.
Most alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain ethanol, isopropanol, n-propanol, or a mixture of these agents. The most effectiveTrusted Source antimicrobial activity comes from alcohol solutions with:
60 to 85 percent ethanol
60 to 80 percent isopropanol
60 to 80 percent n-propanol
Ethanol seems to be the most effective against viruses, whereas propanols work best against bacteria.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers quickly and effectively destroy many disease-causing agents, including:
the flu virus
HIV
hepatitis B and C
MRSA
E.coli
A 2017 study also found that alcohol-based hand sanitizer formulations with ethanol, isopropanol, or both were effective at killing viral pathogens, such as:
severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronaviruses
Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus
Ebola
Zika
Like handwashing, the effectiveness of hand sanitizers depends on using the right technique.
To apply hand sanitizer properly, follow these steps:
