Hand Washing

Infection Prevention and Control Department

Information for parents and carers

Download leaflet

Hand Washing – PIAG 029 (100kB pdf)

Do you know

• Why you should make sure your hands are clean?
• How to make sure your hands are as clean as they can be?
• When it is really important to have clean hands?

You can clean your hands by washing them or by using a hand sanitiser

You should keep your hands clean because it is one of the best ways to stop germs spreading. You can’t see germs, but they can make you and other people sick, so it is important to make sure you clean your hands properly. Germs are invisible to the naked eye so hands need to be cleaned thoroughly to ensure the germs have been removed.

Hand washing

Six steps to hand washing

1. Turn on the taps and make sure the water is warm. Be careful not to have
   the water too hot or too cold.
2. Wet your hands with the warm water before you put soap on your hands.
3. Rub your hands together with the soap on until bubbly.
4. Wash all of your hands; the palms, between your fingers, under your fingernails, your
   thumbs, wrists and the back of your hands.
5. Rinse your hand under warm running water to send the germs down the drain.
6. Use a paper towel to make sure your hands are completely dry.

Hand sanitiser

If your hands do not look dirty you can use hand sanitiser (unless there is a very special reason for you not to use it such as your child having diarrhoea). Hand sanitiser doesn’t work on visibly dirty hands and doesn’t kill the germs that can cause diarrhoea.

Three steps to using hand sanitiser

1. Apply the sanitiser onto your hands.
2. Make sure you have enough on both hands.
3. Rub well into all part of your hands and wrist’s until it was disappeared. This should take approximately 30 seconds.

Make sure your hands are clean

• Before you eat food.
• After you have been to the toilet.
• After coughing into your hands or blowing your nose.
• After touching pets or other animals.
• After touching rubbish or other dirty things.
• When you leave or go back into the war

This leaflet only gives general information. You must always discuss the individual treatment of your child with the appropriate member of staff. Do not rely on this leaflet alone for information about your child’s treatment.

This information can be made available in other languages and formats if requested.

PIAG: 029