When it comes to washing your hands, everyone has their own strategy. Some will hum the tune to Happy Birthday and methodically scrub their digits. Others will casually hang their hands under the tap, avoid soap and leave a washroom without even a backwards glance at a hand dryer.
These good and bad habits can’t be switched on and off like a switch. The majority of our everyday habits are embedded in our minds from a young age, the product of upbringing and even the layout of your first bathroom.
But one major reason to change your hand-washing habits has been reported by the Telegraph – science has formulated the ideal method.
The superior clean
Researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University have confirmed that the method of handwashing recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is the most superior currently available.
The six-step method formulated by WHO was compared to the three-step method recommended by America’s Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, and found to be the best of the two in terms of removing bacteria from your hands.
Reducing infections
Research lead Jacqui Reilly said, “Hand hygiene is regarded as the most important intervention to reduce healthcare-associated infections, but there is limited evidence on which technique is most effective.
“This study provides a foundation for effective best practices to implement on the frontlines of healthcare.
“One of the interesting incidental findings was that compliance with the six-step technique was lacking. Only 65 percent of providers completed the entire hand hygiene process despite participants having instructions on the technique in front of them and having their technique observed.
“This warrants further investigation for this particular technique and how compliance rates can be improved.”
We’ve spent huge amounts of time creating washrooms that are perfect for facilitating the perfect hand wash, so give the rest of our site a look.
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