5 hand washing errors that can expose you to norovirus or flu, say doctors

With so many diseases that go around, it is important to be meticulous.


It is this time of year when many of us are thrown down with various viruses As we wait patiently (or maybe not so patient). Once we are able to open our windows to let the break of spring enter and socialize outside instead of being locked up, this will help reduce our risk of getting sick. But in the meantime, being a stick on hand washing can help you avoid unpleasant insects such as norovirus (which is currently Run in the United States ) and the flu.

Everyone knows how to wash their hands, right? If we have not received the message in kindergarten, then we surely know the exercise after having lived the COVVI-19 pandemic. And yet, experts say that many of us still jump stages and cut the corners with regard to hand hygiene.

Better life asked doctors and other health professionals to share their best advice on hand washing and tell us what errors they see people doing it most often. Read the rest to find out if you are guilty of one of them, then go to wash your hands so that you can stay healthy while you come out in recent days of icy temperature and gusts.

Read this then: This common bathroom habit is a "disaster" for your teeth, warns the dentist .

1
Not using enough soap - or only using a hand disinfectant.

close up of woman using a small hand sanitizer on her hand
Zigres / Shutterstock

You don't have time to wash your hands and think that a hand disinfectant spurting will be sufficient to do the work? Please note, says a naturopathic primary care doctor Devin Stone , Nd, Biōreigns founder . "Alcohol does not completely kill all types of germs and is not as effective as hand washing with soap and water," he said Better life .

Stone also emphasizes the importance of using soap, and many. "It is easy to skimp on the processing process," he said. "However, you want to make sure you have enough soap to generously clean your hands. About a nickel soap size can usually cover the surface with your hands."

2
Do not wash your whole hand.

Kid Washing hands in bathroom sink
5D Media / Shutterstock

"One of the most common errors that people make during hand washing is to focus on the palms, to miss everything else," said Dawn Yeomans , PHD, a research director at Gojo industries . "Most people do not realize that most bacteria on their hands are actually on the tips of their fingertips and under the nails. It is because the fingers are your" contact points "where you transfer germs to germs touching contaminated objects. " AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"Other areas - such as canvases between your fingers, around your cuticles and under your nails and portable items such as rings and bandages - can be hidden germs and can even become ground reproduction grounds because they are Often missed when hand washing is done. It is essential that hand washing understands all the surfaces on both sides of your hands, from the palm near your wrist to your nails, "she explains.

Read this then: 90% of flu hospitalizations are linked to these 4 underlying conditions, says the CDC .

3
Do not rub enough long.

Washing hands with soap and hot water at home bathroom sink man cleansing hand hygiene
Maridav / Shutterstock

Roger Seheult , MD, a quadruple certified doctoral doctor and medical advisor to Compressed And Along the way , recommends following The five -step method Centers for Disease Control (CDC): wet, foam, rub, rinse and dry. If you carefully do each step, you've probably washed your hands for the right duration.

"I really see that people are not washing long enough," said Seheult. "The recommended time is 20 seconds - which does not look much like, but you would be surprised at the duration of 20 seconds when you wash your hands. One way to remember is to sing" Happy Birthday "twice faster - It takes about 20 seconds. "

4
Touching the tap after washing your hands.

woman turning faucet off with her hand
Bokeh Bandin Foundation / Shutterstock

When you have finished rubbing, you turn off the water, right? But this can potentially cancel all the good you have just done, especially if you are in public toilets. "Just think how many people with dirty hands also touch the tap," warns Stone. If you live with other people, it can also be true at home.

What is the alternative? After all, you can't just let the water run. "If possible, dry your hands with a clean towel. Then use the towel to turn off the tap," explains Stone Better life .

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5
Use a dirty towel to dry your hands.

Bearded man drying his hands in the bathroom at home
Daniskim / Shutterstock

How many times have you given your hands a fast shake, raised your shoulders and called it enough after wash your hands? Maybe the paper towel dispenser was empty, or you were in a hurry - whatever the case, we were all there. But Dung Trinh , MD, founder of Healthy cerebral clinic , urges people not to skip this step. "Wet hands are more likely to spread the germs, so be sure to dry them completely using a clean towel or dryer," he said.

And to do the housework is the keyword there. "A dirty towel which is reused several times can host many microbes," adds Stone. "It is important to dry your hands with a clean towel or drying in the air. You don't want to dirty your hands after spending all this time cleaning them." If you are at home, make sure that the hand towel is suspended near your sink is freshly bleached - When this is the last time you washed yours?


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