I didn’t wash my hands until the pandemic.
That’s an exaggeration, in a way. But COVID-19 made me realize how infrequently and, frankly, poorly I washed my hands. And hand sanitizer? Never bought it until 2020.
COVID threat aside, I was never healthier than I was during the pandemic. Part of it was because I was around so few people outside of my small circle of family and close friends, but the other had to do with a simple habit of washing my hands frequently and thoroughly several times each day.
I’m not the only one, as it turns out. Global Handwashing Day is held each October to raise awareness about the importance of washing your hands.
Even Cleveland Clinic has something to say on the topic.
“It’s so important to regularly wash your hands because handwashing reduces the spread of germs and germs in turn can make us sick,” says Neha Vyas, MD, family medicine physician for Cleveland Clinic. “Given that we are coming into the cold and flu season, it’s especially important to recognize the value of hand washing.”
Dr. Vyas says there is no set rule for how many times a day a person should wash their hands, it depends on what they’re doing.
However, it’s recommended to wash your hands before and after eating, after using the bathroom, or changing a diaper, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
It’s also a good idea to wash up if you’ve touched garbage or been out in public.
And while it may seem like common sense, Dr. Vyas says you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.
It’s okay to use either cold or hot water. Then after you’re done, be sure to dry them with a clean towel. She notes it’s easier to transmit germs with wet hands.
If you’re one of those whose skin gets dry, it’s really important that after you wash and dry your hands, you apply a lotion or a cream or an ointment, says Dr. Vyas. That recreates the skin surface so that you don’t have the little micro-abrasions or the micro-cuts, which could potentially introduce more bacteria to your skin.
Besides regularly washing your hands, she also suggests keeping high-touch areas in your home clean and getting vaccinated for the flu, COVID-19 and RSV, if eligible.
