Washing Hands after Visits to Restrooms

While proper hygiene and hand washing are important factors in every aspect of daily life, the importance is higher still after using the restroom. This is particularly the case if articles of incontinence management have to be dealt with, such as emptying collection bags or replacing an external male catheter.

The risks of contracting or passing on infections during or after visits to the restroom are greater than just about anywhere else. Here, not only germs causing the common cold and flu are possible, but gastro-intestinal, urinary and other, altogether very unpleasant infections , or rather the germs causing them, may lurk and attach themselves to the unsuspecting visitor.

Washing ones hands both before and after using the restroom is therefore of vital importance. This does not mean a quick splash of cold water, but should involve the use of soap and hot water. Each hand needs to be washed for a minimum of 15 to 20 seconds, or even longer if visible soiling is present.

The procedure recommended by Healthcare and medical experts for washing hands effectively after using the restroom, or any other time, for that, includes the following steps.

First of all, all jewelery, such as rings, bracelets, watches, etc should be removed and preferably placed onto a clean paper towel. This will avoid missing germs situated underneath rings etc.

The hands should then be wet thoroughly with hot water, followed by applying soap and lathering it up well. Each hand should then be scrubbed; ensuring areas between the fingers, the wrists and forearms are included, as well as scrubbing under the nails. This should be done for a minimum for 15 seconds per hand. Rings should preferably also be thoroughly cleaned.

The faucets or taps should then be closed using a paper towel to prevent new germs being picked up. The hands should then be dried using a new, disposable towel or an air dryer. The hands should be protected from touching dirty surfaces on the way out, using paper towels to open doors if necessary.

These are not measures thought up and used by germophobes, but necessary ways of protecting oneself against a whole army of possible infections. Germs, or the bacteria and viruses covered by this term, are continually evolving and the human body does not always have time to grow antibodies to protect itself against attack.

The only way to protect oneself efficiently against the risk of contracting some virus or another, as well a preventing spreading such infections oneself is to ensure that basic hygiene personal measures are carefully observed on a regular basis.