12 Facts About Hand washing

Hand washing hygiene is central to preventing the spread of infectious diseases in home and everyday life settings.

When both hand washing and using hand sanitizer are not available, hands can be cleaned with uncontaminated ash and clean water, although the benefits and harms are uncertain for reducing the spread of viral or bacterial infections.

Hand washing has many significant health benefits, including minimizing the spread of influenza, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases; preventing infectious causes of diarrhea; decreasing respiratory infections;and reducing infant mortality rate at home birth deliveries.

Interventions that promote hand washing can reduce diarrhoea episodes by about a third, and this is comparable to providing clean water in low income areas.

Hand washing is usually integrated with other sanitation interventions as part of water, sanitation, and hygiene programmes.

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Hand washing protects against impetigo which is transmitted through direct physical contact.

Hand washing sanitizer or hand antiseptic is a non-water-based hand hygiene agent.

Hand washing sanitizers are most effective against bacteria and less effective against some viruses.

Hand washing using hand sanitizing wipes is an alternative during traveling in the absence of soap and water.

Therefore, the proper drying of hands after washing should be an integral part of the hand hygiene process in health care.

For example, posters with "correct hand washing techniques" were hung up next to hand washing sinks in public toilets and in the toilets of office buildings and airports in Germany.

Symbolic hand washing, using water but no soap to wash hands, is a part of ritual hand washing featured in many religions, including the Baha'i Faith, Hinduism, tevilah and netilat yadayim in Judaism, Cantharus and Lavabo in Christianity, and Wudhu in Islam.