Tag Archives: handwashing

What Good Are Hands, Anyway?

As a physician I performed many medical exams which consisted of using my hands to examine patients. I delivered babies, performed pelvic exams and other procedures that involved using my hands or fingers. Very personal and invasive stuff. Yet no one complained because the context was correct.

But surely hands are more useful for everyday activities. Like the thumb. “No” when pointed down, as Senator McCain famously demonstrated. Up for “Yes” or “Good.”

And the index finger. A pointer, as in “Uncle Sam Wants You” posters that I remember from World War II. And the middle finger. Need I explain? Then there’s the fourth finger of the left hand. A convenient parking place for a commitment ring. (Some cynics might say it would better be a nose ring.) And what little can be said about the little finger. Just “pinky.”

And what can we say about the palm? I suppose in political parlance one “greases the palm” of the politician from whom one wants a favor. Ask any successful lobbyist. And, of course, one can suggest certainty by saying “you know something like the palm of your hand.” (Like the efficacy of grease?)

Kismet. It’s a movie that I pull out and watch every few years. Exotic places, times, music, dancers. But what I really enjoy is the soliloquy on hands that Hajj the beggar and storyteller sings just before his hand is about to be chopped off. Here are some lines:

“Dear hand, deft hand, clever and facile extremity, boon companion to me from my birth; sweet hand, swift hand, spinner of fable and fantasy, faithful friend of my art, would they rend us apart, leaving no finger or fist there, but just the hint of a wrist there? Is this a tale? Are you convinced? For the facile finger, listeners will linger. Reiterate. Gesticulate.”

To which the Wazir’s wife responds, “Rather clever, you must admit.”

Here we are 2022 years into the Common Era and we are still obsessed with our hands — or should be. These biomechanical marvels continue to amaze and amuse, to caress and insult, to feed faces and pull triggers, to cure cancer with deft scalpels and spread infections with careless equanimity. But if they offend us, should we lop them off?

Spread infections? As my groping digits search for keys that will make some printed sense, Joshua Bell is bringing Brahms back to life by making the strings on his wooden box vibrate just the way the concerto was intended. How can the hands that make heavenly music also spread hellish disease?

GlitterBuddy™ Handwash Kit

Technology astounds us. Stainless steel can be converted into a hostile venue for microbes by the addition of a few silver ions (Agion steel). Plastic toys are similarly treated to decrease the probability that child A will share his Shigella with child B at preschool. The country is drowning in alcohol. It’s applied externally and also internally in both biological and mechanical devices. We’re coated with antiseptics. And still the happy little hitchhikers sneak on to our hands and jump off where they are least wanted.

A 100 kg human weighs 100,000,000,000,000,000 times as much as a MRSA and yet our invisibly insignificant coccus outsmarts us in seemingly reverse proportions. Mercy! How can that be? Why can’t we germproof our hands with some magic nanotech coating that will sock it to the germs and end all our miseries? Maybe mañana?

On the other hand. . . .

Where do clean hands leave off and disease carriers begin? For many years, when we were younger, my wife of 68 years, Lovina, and I had many backpack adventures in the mountains of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. We ate what we ate, but never scrubbed our hands with soap and warm water. Not even after we went to the “bathroom” (strange name for a toilet facility). Mostly because there weren’t any such. Unless one took the broad view that the whole earth is a toilet. And we never got sick. Luck? Good antibodies? No bad germs in the wild?

Back in “civilization” we worry about germs incessantly. Especially in hospitals. That’s where folk with serious infections go for treatment. Not because they want to become reservoirs of bad bugs to share with other innocent bystanders. But that is why hospitals can become concentration camps for germs looking for new hosts. And hands are convenient carriers of these bugs. (Not to mention droplets from coughing, sneezing and even speaking)

What to do?

Be considerate. Set a good example. Teach the next generation especially that proper hand washing is the single most important means for preventing the spread of infection. Here at Brevis we still believe that Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness. Not next to impossible as the cynics would say.

Check out our GlitterBug products that demonstrate the ins and outs of good hand hygiene. Clean hands are not the final solution, but they are the first step in being responsible and happy, healthy citizens.

Four hand hygiene facts that will astound you!

Hand hygiene is important. We hear about it all the time, starting with our mothers while we were little and growing up.

But having clean hands is more than good hygiene–it is good science. Check out these four important facts . . .

  1. Most bacteria on our hands is on the fingertips and under the nails
  2. 80% of communicable diseases are transferred by touch
  3. The most critical times for hand washing are before preparing food and after going to the bathroom
  4. Damp hands are 1,000x more likely to spread bacteria than dry hands

Do you know how to tell if your hands are really clean?

GlitterBuddy™ Handwash Kit

CLICK HERE to check out these Glitterbug kits that will help you determine how well you are washing your hands!

washing hands

Hints for happy and healthy hand washing

Teaching kids healthy habits is important. But how do you get them to pay attention to a dull topic such as how to wash their hands? With a little creativity, both learning about hand washing and implementing that knowledge can be fun for kids.          

Make the Process a Game

Correctly washing hands is essential to be effective. There are five steps: #1 wet, #2 lather, #3 scrub, #4 rinse, and #5 dry. Making a game out of learning these steps helps kids wash the right way. A parent can stand near the sink as the child prepares to wash his hands and say “1.” The child responds with “wet” and takes the corresponding action. This process is repeated for the next four steps. Kids are both saying and doing the step, which reinforces what they are learning.

Lave and Learn

Older children can use the required 20 seconds for hand washing to practice  learning other things. For instance it is the perfect opportunity for them to count to 20 in a foreign language they are learning. Cleanliness can be next to language fluency.

Use of warm, soapy water is suggested for hand washing. Demonstrate the difference between hot, cold, and warm at the sink. Ask a young child to be Goldilocks. She can say the appropriate phrase depending on the water temperature: “This water is too hot,” “This water is too cold,” or “This water is warm and just right for hand washing!” 

Even English lessons can occur while hand washing. Challenge your child to list as many adjectives as he can to describe the soap he is using. How does it smell? What does it feel like? What color is it?

Engage brains while hands are washed. Have kids recite where they got the germs being washed off. While scrubbing they can say, “I’m washing the germs off I got from petting Fido.” “I’m washing the germs off from the garbage can I took out for Mom.” This exercise opens their eyes as to how and where germs can be picked

Check It Out

Soap is key for hand washing. Pump soap comes in various smells and colors. Let your child choose the soap to use. If her favorite color is pink, she might be fascinated with pink-tinged Himalayan salt soap.

Hand washing can spark an inquiring mind. Offer both hand sanitizer and pump soap for use in the bathroom. Ask your child to report her observations. How do they compare? Are the textures different? Does one make her hands feel cleaner? 

Be Creative

Encourage your child’s creativity during hand washing. Have him pretend he is doing a commercial for soap while washing his hands. He can talk to the mirror about why he likes this particular soap and why others should buy it. Or challenge him to think up a cool new scent of soap he would like to use. Would kids scream to wash their hands with ice cream soap?

Children need to understand hand washing is not a “splash and dash” activity. Effective hand washing lasts at least 20 seconds. People often sing “Happy Birthday” while washing their hands since it takes 20 seconds to sing it. Challenge your child to compose his own song to sing while washing his hands. A personalized song makes the hand washing time fun for them.

The More the Merrier

Siblings can enjoy a group activity. Tell them they are participating in a consumer survey. Offer three different soaps. After they have tried each one, ask them to rate the soaps as #1, #2, and #3 in preference. Are the children’s rankings different?         

Sudsy Science

Perhaps your child would have a blast washing his hands if he is a mad scientist testing out his creation. Seeing is believing so have your children apply GlitterBug Potion with invisible glowing marker before washing. After washing have them view their hands under a blacklight. See any residual glowing? If so those are the most likely trouble spots. Task children with making a record of how many glowing areas they can see. Are certain areas glowing more commonly? Did they follow the five steps carefully? Do certain techniques minimize the glowing?

Only your imagination limits the number of ways to engage kids in hand washing. Making the activity enjoyable encourages kids to participate and results in healthy, happy, hand washing children.

The Science of Handwashing

We all know that keeping hands clean helps keep us from getting sick, but how does handwashing actually work?  Can we really get rid of all the germs on our hands?  Is there a single best technique for handwashing?  Do antibacterial soaps really work?  Scientists have studied these questions, and some of the answers may be surprising.

What exactly are germs?  Can handwashing really get rid of them?

Microbes, microscopic organisms, are everywhere, including on human skin.  Many of the microbes on hands are single-celled bacteria.  Many of the bacteria are always there, living harmless and unnoticed; these are called resident bacteria.  Other bacteria are picked up from the environment; these are called transient bacteria.  Transients can persist on skin for days to months, but can’t live there forever.  They may include pathogens — disease causing organisms, or germs.

Handwashing can never completely remove resident bacteria; there may be 10,000 or more individual bacteria on each hand, and they are adept at sticking to skin and slithering down between the cracks in skin cells to avoid removal.  Transient bacteria are present in fewer numbers and are not adapted to living on skin surfaces; they can be completely removed by handwashing.  Therefore, the purpose of handwashing is not to make hands sterile; it is to get rid of any potential pathogens that have hitched a ride.  However, handwashing technique can vary, and as we will see, some variables are more important than others in making sure pathogens have been removed.     

Does it matter if the water is hot or cold?

Although germs aren’t likely to be destroyed by water temperatures we can tolerate, health experts have long recommended washing hands with warm or hot water.  The reason is that warmer water should help dissolve oils and other substances coating skin, helping to wash away germs with them.  Unfortunately, recent studies comparing the numbers of bacteria on hands washed with cold, warm, and hot water have shown no difference in the results — just as many bacteria remain no matter what water temperature is used.  Since using hot water uses more energy and might irritate the skin if handwashing is frequent, cold water might be a better option.

What does soap actually do?

In general, soap doesn’t kill germs.  In fact, populations of bacteria have been found thriving in liquid soap dispensers in public restrooms.  Instead, the purpose of soap is to help remove contaminants and bacteria from the skin surface.  There is an extra benefit as well; some studies have examined how thoroughly volunteers washed their hands with and without soap; the volunteers using soap did a much more thorough job.  Using water alone will reduce the number of germs on hands, but using soap is more effective.  

Should antibacterial soap be used?  What about other sanitizers?

Although antibacterial soap is everywhere, there is no scientific evidence that it is any better at removing germs from hands than regular soap.  There is also concern that triclosan, a common ingredient in antibacterial soap, could cause bacteria to become resistant to antibiotics.

For how long should hands be washed?

The length of handwashing depends on the circumstances; for example, very dirty hands or hands exposed to more pathogens need a longer period.  In general, studies show that 20-30 seconds of handwashing is all it takes to remove most germs.  To help time handwashing, you can hum the “Happy Birthday” song two times – this should take approximately 20 seconds.

Which areas get missed?

Worldwide, the same areas are missed again and again when hands are washed.  Fingertips, cuticles, between the fingers, and the back of the hand, especially the thumb and ring finger, are areas which get the least attention; therefore, these are the areas where most germs remain.

GlitterBug is designed to disclose where hand washing can improve.

Research-based handwashing technique

In order for handwashing to work, proper technique is a must.  Begin handwashing by wetting hands with warm or cool water.  Apply soap and lather hands; remember commonly-missed areas such as around the nails, between the fingers, and the backs of the hands.  Scrub hands together for at least 20 seconds (or two rounds of the “Happy Birthday” song) before thoroughly rinsing and drying.

As long as the proper technique is used, handwashing is an excellent way to reduce or eliminate transient bacteria, including disease-causing pathogens.  

What Everyone Should Know about Hand Sanitizers

Hand sanitizers have been a popular commodity since the emergence of Covid-19 in the Spring of 2020. There was even a shortage for a while, as everyone rushed to stores to stock up. As sales continue to rise consumers should be aware of the ingredients of the product and the marketing techniques that manufacturers use to increase sales.

Alcohol Content

According to the FDA, in order to be effective, hand sanitizers should contain at least 60% alcohol. The label may list this as ethanol, ethyl alcohol, or isopropyl alcohol. If the label does not show the percentage of alcohol contained in the product, do not buy it. 

Some types of alcohol are extremely dangerous, and it is doubtful that a manufacturer would list these on the label if they are present, but the FDA has found contamination with methyl alcohol or 1-propanol in some hand sanitizers manufactured in Mexico and sold in the U.S. Methyl alcohol, or wood alcohol as it is sometimes called, is used to make antifreeze. 1-propanol is an ingredient of industrial solvents.

False Claims

Claims that hand sanitizers can prevent Covid-19, influenza or other diseases are misleading. Any product making these claims should be avoided. Hand sanitizers, when used properly, can only kill germs that are on your hands, and only lasts until you touch something else.

Misleading Marketing Practices

Some hand sanitizers on the market are scented with appetizing smells such as chocolate or strawberries. If a child smells these, he or she may think they are good to drink. Hand sanitizers packaged in containers that resemble beverage cans, water bottles or food pouches can also mislead young children into thinking that the contents are edible food products.

There have been cases where a person has mistakenly believed that a product that contains alcohol is OK to drink. Since alcoholic beverages contain alcohol, why not drink Nyquil, extract of Vanilla, mouth wash, or hand sanitizer and get a similar “buzz”?  Ingesting any of these products could produce headaches, diarrhea, vomiting, irregular heart rate, seizures and if a very large quantity is consumed, possibly coma or death could result. 

Since hand sanitizers seem to be everywhere these days it is important to understand what the ingredients are. Make sure the contents are clearly labeled and contain a minimum of 60% alcohol. Ignore claims made on labels that the hand sanitizer you are buying will prevent influenza, Covid-19 or anything else. It does not. Never ingest hand sanitizer. It is not safe for human consumption. Small children should be supervised when using hand sanitizers. When shopping for hand sanitizers, avoid packaging that could be mistaken for food products. Steer clear of those with appetizing scents. 

Teach people how to apply hand sanitizer correctly with Glitterbug Gel.

Can the holidays make you sick?

What makes us get sick more often during the holiday season?

Many theories have been postulated and studied over the years and many factors are blamed for being virus enablers. Closer proximity of hosts (us) within closed spaces makes transmission easier due to the shared air we breathe while indoors and the common surfaces we touch as people share confined areas. Further, foods are presented and ingested in areas with higher germ populations due to the foregoing.

Other theories suggest that inactivity and depression generally increases with the cold and gloomy weather and this coupled with decreased exposure to the sun may tend to inhibit our immune systems.

We suspect that all of these factors and more contribute to the seasonal spike in illnesses. But, there are some commons sense actions that can help reduce your chances of being the next holiday (infection) host. The most effective way to reduce your risks of seasonal sickness is to wash your hands often, especially after shaking hands, touching surfaces in common areas such as handrails and countertops and especially before eating.

In the spirit of holiday cheer (and microbial fear) check out these funny new flu and handwashing posters meant to remind with mirth and good cheer.

Healthy holidays to all.


New Flu & Handwashing Posters

 

Image of flu close up by cdc.gov.

September is Food Safety Month

September is National Food Safety Month and because everybody eats, everybody should be reminded about the importance of safe food handling. Safe food handling is critical of course for those who prepare your food, but the food-consumer should be careful not to introduce microbial pests while eating. Proper hand-washing is the common denominator of effective infection prevention. To help you with your mission of promoting food-safety and infection prevention Brevis is holding a September Special.

Sick Facts

  • Foodborne illnesses cost the U.S. about $78 billion per year.
  • Each year, approximately 1 in 6 Americans gets foodborne illness.
  • Foodborne illnesses result in over 3,000 deaths each year.
  • 68% of outbreaks occur at restaurants.
    Sourced from CDC.gov

10% off all GlitterBug products

Just enter promo code “Educate” while checking out your shopping cart.

Clean hands, safe food, healthy people.

GlitterBug handwashing products

Food Safety (CDC.gov)

Government Study Says You’re Washing Your Hands the Wrong Way

…Which Is Gross and You Should Fix It

Hey, did you wash your hands recently? Well, you probably did it wrong. CNN pointed out a recent government study found that 97 percent of the time, people fail to properly wash their hands—a problem that can lead to all sorts of unnecessary illnesses being spread.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, people are falling short of meeting the standards for acceptable handwashing set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bar to make sure your hands are sufficiently clean requires you to wash and scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds.

The study looked at 363 people in six kitchen test facilities located in the Raleigh-Durham region of North Carolina and in the town of Smithfield, North Carolina. What it found was nearly every person working in the kitchens failed to reach the handwashing standard set by the CDC, which is probably not reassuring if you’re currently out to eat at a restaurant in Tar Heel State.

Read on Gizmodo

GlitterBug handwashing products

By AJ Dellinger / gizmodo.com

Moments when you should wash your hands

Certain events, actions or circumstances can make handwashing more important. For example, after being in public places, or handling often-touched objects like handrails and doorknobs, before preparing food, before eating and after using the rest-room. When possible it is best to avoid touching moist areas of your body such as eyes, nose and mouth unless you first wash your hands. Further, it is advisable to wash your hands after touching those areas. Germs most often travel by climbing aboard hands until they find a good opportunity to jump off into food we consume or directly into the portals of our bodies (mouth, nose and eyes etc.). Before helping these bugs find the greener pastures and making us sick send them down the drain.

cdc.gov/handwashing

GlitterBug handwashing products