What is hand-washing?

Hand-washing is more than just running water over your hands. Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of infections. It helps prevent diseases, such as colds, flu, and food poisoning. It's easy. It doesn't cost much. And it works.

Washing your hands is one of the most important things you can do to prevent infection while you're in the hospital. Make sure to wash your hands:

• After returning to your room from other parts of the hospital.
• After shaking hands or otherwise touching visitors or members of your health care team.
• Before and after you eat.
• After using the bathroom.
• After using the phone or the TV remote control in your room or touching anything else in the room, like your window curtains.
• Anytime you think of it.

Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer next to your bed to clean your hands when you can't—or don't want to—get up to use the sink.

Make sure others wash their hands

All people who come in contact with you should wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when they first come into your room.

Health care workers already know they must do this, but sometimes they get in a hurry and forget. If you don't see them wash their hands in your room, remind them to do it.

And don't worry about offending them. Just say, "Oops, don't forget to wash your hands!" They want you to do this. In fact, in some hospitals, doctors and nurses wear buttons that say, "Ask me if I've washed my hands."

Visitors need to follow the same rules. That bottle of hand sanitizer next to your bed will be a good reminder. Just hand it to them when they first come in.

• Caregivers should wash their hands with soap and water:
  • When their hands are dirty, especially after being exposed to body fluids. This includes blood.
  • When their hands may have been exposed to germs that could spread infection.
  • After they touch broken skin, sores, or wound bandages.
  • After they use the bathroom.
• At other times, caregivers can use an alcohol-based gel sanitizer or soap and water to clean hands. This should be done:
  • Before and after any contact with you.
  • After they take off gloves.
  • Before they handle a device that touches your body (even if gloves are used).
  • After they touch any objects near you, such as medical equipment, lights, or doorknobs.
  • Before they handle medicine or prepare food.

Proper hand-washing for caregivers

• When using an alcohol-based gel sanitizer, fill your palm with the gel. Then spread it all over your hands. Rub your hands together until they are dry.
• When washing hands with soap and water:
  • Wet your hands with running water, and apply soap.
  • Rub your hands together to make a lather. Scrub well for at least 20 seconds.
  • Pay special attention to your wrists, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails.
  • Rinse your hands well under running water.
  • Use a clean towel to dry your hands, or air-dry your hands. You may want to use a clean towel as a barrier between the faucet and your clean hands when you turn off the water.
• If you use bar soap, use small bars. Set the soap on a rack that lets water drain.

Wash your hands:

• Often, especially during cold and flu season. This can reduce your risk of catching or spreading a cold or the flu.
• Before, during, and after you prepare food. This reduces your risk of catching or spreading bacteria that cause food poisoning. Be especially careful to wash before and after you prepare poultry, raw eggs, meat, or seafood.
• Before and after you care for someone who is sick. It's also important to wash your hands before and after you treat a cut or wound.
• Before you eat.

Wash your hands after you:

• Go to the bathroom or change diapers. This reduces your risk of catching or spreading diseases such as salmonella or hepatitis A.
• Cough, sneeze, or blow your nose.
• Handle or prepare foods, especially after you touch raw meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, or eggs.
• Touch an animal, animal waste, pet food, or pet treats.
• Handle garbage, use the phone, or shake hands.