Hand Hygiene - The Facts

Hands have good germs that your body needs to stay healthy. Hands can also have bad germs on them that make you sick.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer kills most of the bad germs that make you sick.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill the good and bad germs, but the good germs quickly come back on your hands.

Alcohol-based hand sanitizer does not create antimicrobial-resistant germs.

• Alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill germs quickly and in a different way than antibiotics.

Using alcohol-based hand sanitizers to clean your hands does not cause antimicrobial resistance.

Steps To Take

When residents and visitors should clean their hands

• When entering and exiting the home and resident's home areas.
• Before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
• Before preparing or eating food.
• Before and after changing wound dressings or bandages.
• After using the restroom.
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• After touching hospital surfaces such as bed rails, bedside tables, doorknobs, remote controls, or the phone.

How to clean hands -With an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

1. Put the product on your hands and rub your hands together.
2. Cover all surfaces until hands feel dry. This should take around 15-20 seconds.

How to clean hands - With soap and water:

1. Wet your hands with warm water. Use liquid soap if possible. Apply a nickel- or quarter-sized amount of soap to your hands.
2. Rub your hands together until the soap forms a lather and then rub all over the top of your hands, in between your fingers and the area around and under the fingernails.
3. Continue rubbing your hands for at least 15 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing the "Happy Birthday" song twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under running water.
5. Dry your hands using a paper towel if possible. Then use a dry paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door if needed.