According to the National Institute for Prevention and Health Education (I.N.P.H.E.), 80% of the microbes that surround us are transmitted through touch. Hand washing is therefore paramount and should be integrated into lifestyle habits from an early age. On this point, it is important to know how often one should wash their hands.
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Hand washing: how often should it be done?
Summary
Published September 13, 2021,
updated on February 14, 2024,
by
Stéphanie, PhD, Doctorate in Life and Health Sciences
—
3 min read
Why should we wash our hands?
Throughout the day, your hands come into contact with numerous objects that may have been contaminated by bacteria or viruses, turning them into veritable breeding grounds for microbes. Consequently, as soon as you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth without having previously washed your hands, these pathogens can enter your body. Moreover, the issue when you do not wash your hands is that you transfer your microbes to everything you touch, which can then be transmitted from one person to another in various ways (bus bars, door handles, etc.). Thus, the next person who touches the said object may contract the germs and fall ill in turn. To reduce the risk of transmission of germs responsible for infectious diseases, such as flu, gastroenteritis, skin and eye infections, intestinal worms, or even COVID-19, it is therefore essential to ensure frequent and proper hand washing. Besides eliminating a large portion of the bacteria and viruses present on the skin, hand washing also cleans any visible dirt.
How often should we wash our hands?
To maintain good health and protect those around you, it is crucial to wash your hands regularly, especially during critical moments when the risk of contracting germs is high. Therefore, hand washing should be a routine part of our daily lives, particularly before, during and after preparing meals, before and after eating, after touching animals, after touching surfaces outside your home (stair railings, elevator buttons, bank card machines, money, etc...), after visiting public places (public transport, etc...), after handling rubbish or after using the toilet. Similarly, it is necessary to wash your hands before and after any contact with a person suffering from diarrhoea or vomiting, before and after caring for a baby, or before and after treating a wound or injury. If you are ill, make sure to wash your hands after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing to prevent spreading germs to those around you. Lastly, simply wash your hands whenever they are dirty.
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