According to the Robert Koch Institute, hand washing is one of the most important measures in preventing bacteria and infections. No matter where you are, hand hygiene is always very important. For example, there are 500 times more bacteria on a desk than on a toilet! Even when our hands are not visibly dirty, millions of bacteria are still crawling on them. There are approximately 3 million bacteria under the fingernail, making the hands one of the main means of transmission of infectious diseases. Up to 80% of all infectious diseases are transmitted through the hands. Not surprisingly, our hands are in constant contact with handles, handrails on buses and trains, switches and, not least, shaking hands, which harbour a significant number of germs. While approximately 50 germs can be found on one washed hand, one unwashed hand is home to more than 10 million germs.

When to wash your hands

Regular and thorough hand washing is the most effective way to eliminate germs. But nothing should be overdone. Our skin is the most important protective barrier against external influences. The pH of the skin is crucial, which is approximately 5.5 and therefore slightly acidic (pH 7 is considered neutral). Our skin is covered with a surface protective layer of water and lipids (fats). The so-called hydro-lipid film is a product of the sebaceous and sweat glands, keeps the skin supple and acts as a protection against bacteria and fungi. The water content of the hydro-lipid film gives the skin a slightly acidic pH, which is an ideal environment for beneficial microorganisms that produce epidermal lipids and enzymes that control the exfoliation and regeneration of damaged and corroded skin. Since the epidermis, the uppermost layer of the skin, is very thin, this acidic protective sheath is very important. Excessive hand washing, for example with hot water and strong perfumed soaps, destroys this sheath. It is therefore recommended to use a soap with a neutral pH.

Generally, hand washing is required in the following cases:Generally, hand washing is required in the following cases:

if they are visibly soiled,
after using the toilet,
before and after handling food, cooking, preparing food and eating food,
before using medicines or cosmetics,
after sneezing, sniffing and coughing,
after contact with the sick or after treating wounds,
after contact with animals,
after contact with waste,
when coming and going from work, as well as when coming home.

Proper hand washing procedure

We learn from childhood: Remember to wash your hands after using the toilet and before eating! However, many adults forget what they learned in childhood. In a survey carried out for the BzgA Health Education Centre, 94% of respondents said they washed their hands after using the toilet, but in fact 70% of them only rinsed their hands and only 30% used soap to wash them. This research also found that one in five women and one in ten men do not wash their hands thoroughly. Regular and thorough hand washing is the most effective way to remove bacteria, and various studies have even found that thorough hand washing reduces the risk of diarrheal disease by almost half.

Proper hand washing requires care and should be done in five steps:

First, moisten your hands under running water. The temperature of the water does not matter, but it should not be too hot, as high temperatures are harmful to the acid mantle.
Soap your hands thoroughly. Palms, backs of hands, fingers, space between fingers, thumbs and don’t forget the nails. Particularly in public toilets are liquid soaps more hygienic than conventional soaps.
Rub the soap gently and thoroughly into all areas.
Rinse your hands thoroughly under running water. In public toilets, use your elbow or hand to close off the water supply. disposable cloth or towel.
Finally, dry your hands thoroughly and don’t forget the spaces between your fingers, where micro-organisms thrive and multiply in a moist environment. Drying is just as important as washing your hands. Disposable paper towels are suitable for this purpose. Another advantage paper towel dispensers or towels is the lowest bacterial load in the washroom.

Netdoctor shows how to do it properly in the video.

As a rule: hand washing should take at least 20-30 seconds.
In workshops, if the hands are particularly heavily soiled with resins or lubricants, the washing process must of course be longer to remove even stubborn dirt with special detergents.

Incidentally, a 20-second hand wash is equivalent to approximately two Happy Birthday songs. And this investment of time is worth it, because a 30-second hand wash kills 99.9% of bacteria!