Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. It is best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water for 20 seconds, according to the Centers for Disease Control. However, if soap and clean water are not available, use Hexistat Germicidal Hand Wipes to clean your hands and significantly reduce the number of germs on the skin.

Good hand hygiene is one of the most critical control strategies in outbreak management. Hand hygiene is defined as any method that removes or destroys microorganisms on hands. It is well-documented that the most important measure for preventing the spread of of pathogens is effective handwashing. Hand hygiene programs should include clear guidance on procedures for the removal of common pathogens from the hands of passengers and crew members. Included in this program should be detailed instructions on when, where, why and the "how tos" of proper hand hygiene, including the use of soap and water, followed by effective hand drying.

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• - Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
• - Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
• - Continue rubbing hands for 20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing "Happy Birthday" twice through to a friend!
• - Rinse hands well under running water
• - Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet

• - Before preparing or eating food
• - After going to the bathroom
• - After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has gone to the bathroom
• - Before and after tending to someone who is sick
• - After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
• - After handling an animal or animal waste
• - After handling garbage
• - Before and after treating a cut or wound

Hand washing is defined as the vigorous, brief rubbing together of all surfaces of lathered hands, followed by rinsing under a stream of water. Handwashing  suspends microorganisms and mechanically removes them by rinsing with water. The fundamental primciple of hand washing is removal, not killing.

The amount of time spent washing hands is important to reduce the transmission of pathogens to other food, water, other people and inanimate objects (fomites), such as door knobs, hand railings and other frequently touched surfaces. Proper hand hygiene involves the use of soap and warm, running water, rubbing hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. The use of a nail brush is not necessary or desired, but close attention should be paid to the nail areas, as well as the area between the fingers.

Wet hands have been known to transfer pathogens much more readily than dry hands or hands not washed at all. The residual moisture determines the level of bacterial and viral transfer following hand washing. Careful hand drying is a critical factor for bacterial transfer to skin, food and environmental surfaces. The drying times required to reduce the transfer of these pathogens varies with drying methods. Repeated drying of hands with reusable cloth towels is not recommended and should be avoided.