Proper Handwashing Techniques for Flu and Cold Prevention
With the upcoming holidays and family gatherings and dinners quickly approaching, it’s important to help prevent the spread of diseases such as the flu and the common cold when hosting large gatherings. With many restaurants opening back up for inside dining, it’s important to be proactive in not only making a great impression and creating profits but also protecting customers from highly transmissible diseases. People nowadays are concerned about their health more than ever. The recent pandemic has brought more vigilance for people’s wellbeing and safety in public gathering areas. Today, society expects businesses to keep their facilities clean and follow all sanitation procedures, especially in the foodservice industry, where people gather in close proximity to each other. Hand washing is a simple but ever-important part of keeping customers as well as the staff in place healthy.
It has been commonplace policy that all employees should wash their hands and wear food-grade gloves before touching any source of food as not doing so increases the risk of cross-contamination. When a staff member is sick, however, and cannot remain at home, it is even more important that they should wash their hands to prevent the spread of germs. It’s a vital step which ultimately helps prevent both the staff and customers from getting sick. Prevention plays a crucial role in businesses, as customers are more aware of their surroundings and the actions of others around them. If a customer witnesses an employee not washing their hands after doing a certain activity such as blowing their nose or bussing a table after service, it can damage the businesses’ credibility or can even lead to legal actions if a customer gets sick.
It is recommended that you wash your hands rather than use hand sanitizers, as washing your hands can remove more types of germs and harmful bacteria plus chemicals. Hand sanitizers are limited to killing only certain types of germs and are not a good source for removing harmful heavy metals or chemicals from soiled hands. Your hands can carry anywhere from 100,000 to millions of variations of germs at any given time. Some of these germs are natural germs that protect your skin, but the majority of these are harmful ones that are picked up by surface contamination. These germs can lead to all kinds of illnesses such as covid-19, the flu, diarrhea, salmonella, giardiasis, pink eye, and the common cold*. The importance of washing your hands correctly to prevent the spread of these diseases and viruses cannot be understated. Here are some key steps to help you wash your hands properly:
- Wet your hands with clean water, either with cold or warm water
- Apply soap and rub it throughout all the surfaces of your hands and wrists for at least 20 seconds, about the same time it takes to sing ‘Happy birthday’ twice. The rubbing action of soap lathering helps create pockets called micelles that trap and remove germs from hands**
- Rinse out all the soap in your hands with clean running water
- Lastly, dry your hands with a clean towel, paper towel, or a hot air dryer
- It is best to remove jewelry before washing your hands, as microorganisms may reside in the areas they are covering
- To prevent any surface germs from getting on your hands after washing them, try using a paper towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet**
Content courtesy of Handgards, Inc.
*https://www.businessinsider.com/handwashing-impact-effects-germs-health-hygiene-illness-2020-9
