Washroom Direct News
When is Hand washing Required?
In general, hand washing is required whenever significant hand contamination occurs and the spread of pathogens through cross-contamination may occur. Some specific activities where hand washing is required include:
- using the toilet
- cleaning toilets and bathrooms
- handling potentially contaminated or soiled clothes and bed linens
- cleaning up after sick and vomiting or fecal accident
- cleaning and sanitizing environmental surfaces
- before preparing food
- after eating, drinking and smoking
- after removing gloves
- Hand washing and Drying
Hand washing is defined as the vigorous, brief rubbing together of all surfaces of lathered hands, followed by rinsing under a stream of water. Hand washing suspends microorganisms and mechanically removes them by rinsing with water. The fundamental principle of hand washing is removal, not killing.
The amount of time spent washing hands is important to reduce the transmission of pathogens to other food, water, other people and inanimate objects such as door knobs, hand railings and other frequently touched surfaces. Proper hand hygiene involves the use of soap and warm, running water, rubbing hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. The use of a nail brush is not necessary or desired, but close attention should be paid to the nail areas, as well as the area between the fingers.
Wet hands have been known to transfer pathogens much more readily than dry hands or hands not washed at all. The residual moisture determines the level of bacterial and viral transfer following hand washing. Careful hand drying is a critical factor for bacterial transfer to skin, food and environmental surfaces.
The drying times required to reduce the transfer of these pathogens varies with drying methods. Repeated drying of hands with reusable cloth towels is not recommended and should be avoided. Recommended hand drying methods and drying times are outlined
| Drying Method | Protcol | Total Drying Time | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
DISPOSABLE PAPER TOWELS |
Rub hands on two paper towels drying hands for 10 seconds on each |
20 seconds |
The first towel removes the bulk of the water; the seconds achieves complete drying |
HOT AIR HAND DRYER |
Rub hands together for while rotating them under warm air |
30 - 45 seconds |
A prolonged drying period is required to achieve complete drying |
ROLLER TOWEL CABINET |
Rub hands on two sections of the towel, drying hands for 10 seconds on each section |
20 seconds |
The first section of the towel removes the bulk of the water; the seconds achieves complete drying |
