Many Bermudians today recognise the importance of washing hands, but yet there are many false myths regarding handwashing.

Myth: Handwashing is only really important if you are sick.

Fact: Good handwashing should always be practiced whether you are sick or not. Many illnesses can be transmitted without any symptoms. For example, individuals with hepatitis A can easily spread the virus up to four weeks before showing any symptoms. It should also be noted that anyone caring for a child with diarrhoea could also spread the virus. People who are sick should not come into contact with foods for others. Food handlers should not be working while ill. If the worker cannot take a day off, they should be reassigned to a job which involves no contact with food. This should be the same at home as well. If one member of the household is sick, others in the house can be infected. Ill food handlers have been the source of many food outbreaks.

Myth: You only need to wash your hands after going to the bathroom or after handling raw meat.

Fact: When handling food there are many times when it is important for people to wash their hands. Every one handling foods should wash their hands when entering the kitchen, even if only returning from a break. In addition to washing hands after using the bathroom, any time someone touches the mouth, nose or scalp, hands should be considered dirty. Also anyone cleaning equipment of food contact surfaces should wash hands before returning to food preparation.

Myth: Hand soap without an anti-microbial agent is not effective.

Fact: Studies have shown that anti-microbial soaps are only slightly more effective than regular soaps. The most important aspect of handwashing is the action of breaking up the layers of fats on the hands (done with soap). This fat can entrap bacteria so by removing some of it, bacteria are also removed. Both anti-microbial and regular soaps will work to remove this layer. Anti-microbial soaps can reduce bacteria further, but for the most part the soap is not in contact with bacteria long enough to kill them. Myth: People can get germs from using the same bar soap as other people.

Fact: Research has shown that bacteria do not readily transfer from one person to another by soap. It is likely that any bacteria picked up from bar soap are washed away when you rinse your hands.

Myth: The hotter the water you use for handwashing the better.

Fact: In the past the Food and Drug Administration has recommended that water temperature is 120 degrees for handwashing. Recently they have changed their recommendation to 105 degrees. There is no research to prove that higher temperatures improve handwashing. Handwashing water is not hot enough to kill bacteria. However, hotter water is more likely to cause excessive drying of the skin. It is harder to remove bacteria from dry skin because of extra cracks and grooves and dry skin can make handwashing painful. As a rule, temperature to wash hands is the warmest temperature that you find comfortable.

Myth: Hot air hand dryers are the most sanitary way to dry your hands.

Fact: Hot air hand dryers can actually increase the amount of bacteria on your hands after handwashing. Bacteria can grow inside of hand dryers because they provide a warm moist environment. When the dryer is turned on, the air that comes out can be filled with bacteria. Paper towels are a better way to dry your hands because they can physically remove bacteria while not adding additional bacteria to the hands.

Myth: Alcohol hand sanitisers (hand gels) are an acceptable substance for handwashing.

Fact: Alcohol sanitisers have been shown to work on clean hands; when clean hands are contaminated with bacteria, alcohol hand sanitisers eliminated bacteria fairly well. It is likely, however, that sanitisers don't work as well on hands that are dirty and greasy. For this reason, sanitisers should be used only in addition to proper handwashing. It is also important to keep in mind that alcohol can dry out the skin, which can cause an increase in bacteria over time. There are even some studies that show that bacteria increase after the first use. Because of so much conflict between studies on alcohol sanitisers, it is generally recommended that they only be used after handwashing or even when water is not available.

Myth: As long as food handlers wear gloves, there is no chance of hands contaminating food.

Fact: Many food service establishments use cheap gloves that bacteria can pass through. Gloves may also give food handlers a false sense of security. They think that as long as they are wearing gloves, their hands are clean. Anecdotal information shows that when people wear gloves they are less likely to wash their hands. After gloves are put on, bacteria on the hands increase quickly. If a glove is punctured, bacteria on the hands can pass to food even more easily. It is also important to remember that gloves can pick up bacteria from dirty surfaces and transfer them to food. for all of these reasons, handwashing is still the best way to fight the contamination of foods. If gloves are being worn in the kitchen, it is important to remember to change them frequently, with proper hand washing between changes.

What is good handwashing technique?

There is more to handwashing that most people think. Rubbing your hands vigorously with soapy water, pulls the dirt and oily soils free from your skin. The soap lather suspends both the dirt and germs inside bubbles where they can quickly be washing away.

Follow these four simple steps to keep hands clean:

Wet your hands with warm running water

Add soap, then rub your hands together, making a soapy lather. Do this away from the running water for at least ten seconds, being careful not to wash the lather away. Wash the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails.

Rinse your hands well under warm running water. Let the water run back into the sink, not down your elbows.

Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel.

What type of soap to used

Any type of soap may be used. However, bar soap should be kept in a self draining holder that is cleaned thoroughly before new bars are put on. Liquid soap containers (which must be used in day care centres) should be used until empty and cleaned before refilling.

Things to avoid

regarding handwashing

Don't use a single damp cloth to wash a group of children's hands.

Don't use a standing basin of water to rinse hands.

Don't use a common hand towel. Always use disposable towels in a day care or school.

Don't use sponges or non-disposable cleaning cloths unless you launder them on a regular basis, adding chlorine bleach to the wash water. Remember that germs thrive on moist surfaces.

How to teach children

handwashing techniques

It is important to encourage and help children to wash hands before eating, after playing outdoors or playing with pets, after using the bathroom and after blow their noses.

Even though hands may appear clean, they may carry germs or micro-organisms that are capable of causing disease. Don't assume that children know how to wash their hands properly. Supervision, especially in a day care setting, is an essential element in form good handwashing habits in children.

Finally, children learn by example. Let them observe good handwashing technique from adults who care for them.

Some handwashing facts

Nine out of ten adults say they wash their hands after using public restrooms, but only six in ten were observed doing so.

Women wash their hands more often than men.

Americans with college degrees say they wash their hands less than those without college degrees.