Hand cleanliness is a vital part of maintaining health and avoiding infections. The best way to keep hands clean is to regularly wash them with warm water and soap but there are times when this is not possible.
In these circumstances, when soap and water are not available, alcohol-based hand cleansers are the next best solution.
The good thing about alcohol-based hand cleansers is that water is not needed to use them. But for effective cleansing the product should contain at least 60 percent alcohol.
How to use an Alcohol-based Hand Cleanser
- Pour sufficient fluid on to the palms of the hands so that there is enough to wet the hands.
- Rub hands together vigorously making sure that all surfaces are covered with the fluid.
- Do this for 20 seconds or so while singing “Happy Birthday to You” twice.
- This should take about 20 seconds.
Should hands be really dirty, then it is best to wash with soap and water, the use of commercial products like Wet Wipes or other moist towelettes are an alternative but not as effective as washing or alcohol-based products.
Hand Washing for Kids
Hand washing is an essential part of a child’s home education and they should be encouraged to wash their hands frequently and especially after using the toilet, playing outside and before eating any food.
Alcohol-based hand cleansers are fine for children but ensure that their hands are fully dry before they touch anything, especially food. Keep all alcohol-based cleansers away from very young children and supervise older ones when they are using it. It is essential that all alcohol products are kept in a safe place when not being used.
Just like brushing one’s teeth, show the child how to wash their hands when washing one’s own hands. Make it into a game by singing “Happy Birthday” twice together, place a chart at child-level with a pen or marker and ask the child to tick or write the time each time they washed their hands.
Group Activities
In certain group settings like kindergarten, play centres, child minding groups, scouting or guiding activities, hand cleaning becomes very important. These are places where the child is exposed to respiratory and stomach infections and upsets which can be passed on to other members of the family.
In these group settings, it is a good idea to make sure that the leaders know the importance of frequent hand washing either with soap and water or some other method.
Where both young babies and infants gather in a group, make sure that the nappy changing areas are clean and well away from food preparation and serving areas and that a hand washing routine is strictly observed.
Washing one’s and one’s children’s hands does not take a lot of time but this one activity is the best way to keep germs at bay and to protect the health of all family members. Good habits encouraged from an early age remain for life.
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