Washing hands

Hand washing
Hand washing with soap on a kitchen sink
[]

Hand washing, also spelled handwashing and known as hand hygiene, is the act of cleaning one's hands for the purpose of removing soil, dirt, and microorganisms. This may be done with or without the use of water, other liquids, or soap. In situations where tap water and soap is not available other options include pouring water from a hanging jerrycan or gourd or using ash instead of water.

Medical hand hygiene pertains to the hygiene practices related to the administration of medicine and medical care that prevents or minimizes disease and the spreading of disease. The main medical purpose of washing hands is to cleanse the hands of pathogens (including bacteria or viruses) and chemicals which can cause personal harm or disease. This is especially important for people who handle food or work in the medical field, but it is also an important practice for the general public.

Handwashing with soap consistently at critical moments during the day prevents the spread of diseases like diarrhoea and cholera which are transmitted through fecal-oral routes. Handwashing also protects against impetigo which is transmitted through direct physical contact. People can become infected with respiratory diseases such as influenza or the common cold, for example, if they do not wash their hands before touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. As a general rule, hand washing protects people poorly or not at all from droplet and airborne diseases, such as measles, chickenpox, influenza, and tuberculosis.

Hand washing has the following health benefits:

In developing countries, childhood mortality rates related to respiratory and diarrheal diseases can be reduced by introducing simple behavioral changes, such as hand washing with soap. This simple action can reduce the rate of mortality from these diseases by almost 50 percent.