Hand Hygiene Tips for National Handwashing Awareness Week

Cincinnati, Ohio — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), proper handwashing is the single most effective way to prevent the spread of germs that cause infection and illness. In honor of National Handwashing Awareness Week (Dec. 6 – 12), Cintas Corporation (NASDAQ: CTAS) offers four handwashing tips to help maintain a healthier workplace this cold and flu season.

National Handwashing Awareness Week aims to “spread the word not germs” by promoting the importance of proper handwashing. To help promote proper hand-hygiene practices, consider the following:

1. Know when to wash. While it’s important to regularly wash your hands, it’s even more important to wash your hands after certain activities such as using the toilet; before, during and after preparing food; touching an animal; blowing your nose; coughing; or sneezing. It can also be beneficial to wash hands after coming into contact with frequently touched items, such as door handles or light switches.

2. Don’t skip the soap. Washing hands with soap and water is the best and most effective way to reduce the number of microbes and germs on hands. Studies show that you should scrub your hands, including areas between fingers and around the base of your hands, with soap for a minimum of 15-30 seconds in order to effectively remove germs.

3. Dry hands completely. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, hand drying is essential to staving off bacteria after handwashing as germs are more easily transferred to and from wet hands.

4. Dry hands with paper towels. Studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic (Minn.) and University of Westminster (London) show that paper towels can help remove bacteria, unlike air dryers which can increase bacteria counts. Paper towels are also less likely to contaminate other restroom users as air dryers have also been shown to spread bacteria between three and six feet from the device.

Even if employees practice proper hand hygiene, it’s important for facilities to plan for additional cleaning and disinfection during winter months. Combat cold and flu season by using the proper cleaning tools, cleaning chemicals and cleaning processes to keep employees healthy and safe.

To complement a handwashing program, businesses should disinfect high-tough surfaces such as door handles, elevator buttons, desks, keyboards and phones regularly. Because viruses and bacteria are estimated to remain on hard surfaces for up to 18 hours, be sure to use a combination of anti-microbial cleaners and disinfectants to remove and kill pathogenic micro-organisms that thrive in these areas. Also remember to use separate microfiber mops and towels between zones to remove bacteria and reduce cross contamination.

Featured

  • Springfield Breaks Ground on $53.7M Pipkin Middle School Rebuild

    Construction is underway on a new, state-of-the-art Pipkin Middle School in Springfield, Mo., a major step in Springfield Public Schools’ (SPS) long-term facility improvement plan, according to local news. The $53.7-million project officially broke ground in early June, following years of planning and community input aimed at modernizing aging infrastructure and addressing student capacity concerns.

  • ProTeam Launches GoFit 6 HEPA Backpack Vacuum

    Technology leader Emerson recently introduced the new ProTeam GoFit 6 HEPA backpack vacuum, according to a news release. The vacuum was designed to capture 99.97% of particulates down to 0.3 microns—including atmospheric hazards like lead dust, mold spores, and other particulates—through an advanced filtration system.

  • California High School Starts Construction on New CTE Building

    Analy High School, part of the West Sonoma County Union High School District (WSCUHSD) in Sebastopol, Calif., recently broke ground on a new Career Technical Education (CTE) Building, according to a news release. The 15,000-square-foot facility will offer specialized facilities for students in engineering, welding, culinary arts, agricultural sciences, and design thinking.

  • modern college building with circuit and brain motifs

    Anthropic Introduces Claude for Education

    Anthropic has launched a version of its Claude AI assistant tailored for higher education institutions. Claude for Education "gives academic institutions secure, reliable AI access for their entire community," the company said, to enable colleges and universities to develop and implement AI-enabled approaches across teaching, learning, and administration.

Digital Edition