Explain why washing your hands regularly helps prevent infectious diseases.

How germs spread through hands

Every day, your hands touch a multitude of objects: elevator buttons, door handles, phone screens, coins, public transport. As a result, they pick up invisible germs along the way, such as bacteria and viruses. Then, as soon as you touch your face, your eyes, your nose, or rub your mouth, these microbes easily enter your body. They also spread quickly from one person to another when you shake hands or share contaminated objects. That's how many infectious diseases quickly become widespread.

The effectiveness of regular handwashing in limiting infections.

Hands are true highways for bacteria and viruses, easily transferred as soon as you touch a doorknob, an elevator button, or even when greeting someone. Regular washing with soap helps to effectively eliminate the majority of these germs before they enter our bodies through the eyes, nose, or mouth. Soap has this superpower to break down the protective membrane of many viruses, such as the flu or cold virus, and to neutralize them. In short, by washing your hands regularly, you significantly reduce the risk of contaminating others or becoming ill yourself.

The main steps for optimal handwashing.

First, wet your hands with clean water, either warm or cold. Add enough soap, and lather by rubbing well. Take your time, at least 20 seconds, rubbing everywhere: palm to palm, between your fingers, under your nails, and even up to your wrists. Then, rinse everything thoroughly under running water. Finally, dry your hands completely with a clean towel or a hand dryer. There you go, it's straightforward, but it effectively removes the majority of germs.

Diseases prevented by regular handwashing

Regularly washing hands stops several common diseases. For example, gastroenteritis, often caused by viruses or bacteria transmitted by dirty hands, affects many people each year. The same goes for influenza or the common cold, which frequently spread from hand to hand through sneezing, coughing, or touching contaminated objects like doors, phones, or light switches. Regular washing also helps prevent certain more bothersome illnesses, such as conjunctivitis, an eye infection primarily contracted due to germs on fingers. Even food poisoning can be avoided with good hand hygiene after using the restroom or handling potentially contaminated raw foods (like salmonella, E. coli, for example). Finally, some respiratory diseases and common infections, such as bronchiolitis in young children, are significantly reduced simply by adopting this straightforward yet highly effective habit.

Common mistakes to avoid when washing your hands

A common mistake is washing your hands too quickly: a few seconds under water clearly isn't enough to eliminate germs, so take at least 20 seconds. Using only water without soap is also useless—soap is essential for capturing and removing germs. Another thing to avoid is skipping certain areas, especially the spaces between your fingers, under your nails, and around your thumbs. Doing everything perfectly and then drying your hands quickly on a wet or dirty towel basically cancels out all your efforts. Instead, use a clean towel or an air dryer to finish. Also, avoid turning off the faucet with your clean hands; use a towel or even your elbow if possible, otherwise, you’ll just pick up germs again.