Basics of Proper Hand Washing for Massage Therapists

Availability of new products like antibacterial soap and hand sanitizers clamor for our attention, but plain old soap and water is still the best way to clean your hands. In studies, washing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds (about the time it takes to sing one chorus of "Happy Birthday to You") reduces bacterial counts by 90%. Even people who are conscientious about washing their hands often make the mistake of not drying them properly. Moist and wet hands are more likely to spread germs than dry ones.

Today, almost half of the hand soaps on the market have an antibacterial additives. The question has been whether use of antibacterial soaps will worsen the problem of antibiotic resistance. Even if antibiotic resistance weren’t an issue, results from studies suggest that antibacterial soaps available to consumers don’t add much to hand hygiene. The findings are a useful reminder that antibacterial soaps aren’t the all-purpose germ fighters that many people think they are.

New products in hand hygiene are alcohol-based rubs, sold as hand sanitizers. The big advantage of these cleansers is that you don’t need water or a towel, so you can use them anywhere. Yet alcohol doesn’t kill everything. That’s why it shouldn’t be the only cleaner available in health care settings. To be effective, the rubs need to come into contact with all surfaces of your hands. For that reason, studies have shown that using small amounts is really no better than washing with plain soap and water.

• Spread cleaner over hands.
• Clean back of the hand.
• Clean the fingertips.
• Clean the fingernails.
• Clean the thumbs.
• Clean between the fingers.

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