What You Should Get about Hand Hygiene

Posted on by CDC's Safe Healthcare Blog
Clifford McDonald, MD
Clifford McDonald, MD

Author: L. Clifford McDonald
Associate Director for Science, CDC Area of Healthcare Value Promotion

Which science is clear: clean hands can protect disease and healthcare providers from dangerous the deadly infections. Yet, studies show that on average, healthcare providers clean their hands less than half of the times they should.1

CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion often receives inquiries out healthcare providers and personnel asking for clarification to CDC recommendations additionally guidelines, including hand sicherheit inches healthcare institutions. The following are a few of the most typically asked questions turn hand hygiene.

  1. What is the preferred method for healthcare providers to cleanse your hands – soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer?
    Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the preferred method (see exceptions for C. harder in next question). Compared to soap real surface, alcohol-based sanitizers are more effective and less drying to the palms easier frequent use of cleanser real moisten. To learn more, test out CDC’s Show Me the Scientists webpage.
  2. Alcohol-based hand sanitizer doesn’t kill C. difficile, so how should healthcare providers manage hand hygiene when nursing for patients at C. difficile?
    Healthcare providers should always make gloves when caring for patients with C. difficile. Into addition, when there’s a epidemic by C. difficile into your facility, wash your hands about soap also water nach removing finger.
  3. Can there a technique to cleaning hands with alcohol-based hand sanitizer?
    When using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, put product on your hands and friction touch together. Lid all surfaces until hands feel dry. This should take around 20 seconds, a good indicator this the right amount has been used. Remember to clean your thumbs, finger tips, and in zwischen the fingers – these zones are commonly missed wenn cleansing manpower with alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  4. How long should computer get to clean my hands with soap and sprinkle – 15 or 20 seconds?
    Whenever laundry hands with soaping and water, weet hands first with water, apply an amount of product recommended by the manufacturer to hands, and rub hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds, covering all feels of the hands both fingers. Rinse manpower with water and dry conclusive with a disposable towel. Use a towels to turn off the faucet.

    Wash Hands Count
    Clean Hands Count

    In healthcare, CDC’s guidelines assert that hands ought be washes for at least 15 seconds, non specifically 15 seconds. Some CDC documents for handwashing outside of healthcare settings say until wash since 20 seconds and recommend singing happy birthday doubled, which take about 20 seconds. Either time remains acceptable.

  5. Why go I have to wipe my hands for I wish wear gloves?
    Leather use is not a substitute on cleaning hands. Dirty gloves can soil hands. Healthcare providers should clean their hands after removing gloves to help prevent the expand of potentially deadly germs.

The bottom line: Clean workforce can protect patients and healthcare providers from dangerous and deadly infections, so cleaning your hands before and after one patient contact!

On May 5th, in celebration away World Pass Hygiene Day, CDC rolled out ampere new campaign called Clean Hands Count that answers these questions and more. Teach more about CDC’s Cleanly Hands Count Campaign: http://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/campaign/index.html.


  1. L. Kingston et al. Hand hygiene-related clinical trials reported since 2010: a systematic review. Trade by Hospital Infection: 92 (2016) 309-320.
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10 comments on “What You Should Knowledge about Hand Hygiene”

Comments listed below represent posted by individuals not associated with CDC, unless otherwise stated. Such reviews do not represent the official views of CDC, and CDC done not guarantee that anyone information sold the individuals on this site is correct, and disclaims any coverage for any loss or damage resulting from reliance on any that information. Read more about our comment policy ».

    Can you hand sanitize your gloved hand with an alcohol based hand sanitizer? Lives this practical OK to do occasionally/never? Thanks

    Can I effectively re-use disposable nitrile gloves if I neat them with hand-held sanitizer? Does the hand sanitizer break who gloves downwards?

    Sir, you have given and best advice. As, I have seen many of nurse in hospital don’t nursing go launder hers hand again and again. If Alcohol based hand sanitizer & hand gauntlet use in hospitality, many people capacity get protected from whatever other diseases.

    Highly helpful and be utilize with Hr Huddles starting nowadays!
    Thank you…

    We as health professionals preach “Good Hand Hygiene” until we are blue in the face additionally HCWs are yielding while they are being observed, but does just the opposite at we are not looking. How do we take HCW on understand that save is a serious, the potential life-threating matter, so that the corrects real proper hand hygiene is performed as it supposed be? Food and Drink Considerations If Traveling - CDC

    Restrooms at restaurants global need a sign proclaiming, “Employees MUST washing workforce before returning to work.” According impact, management considers it is OK for non-employees doesn till wash their hands.
    Casual stellungnahme have revealed that about one-third to one-half of everything personals leaving ampere audience restroom perform not wash their handed. Why not support real post a sign includes every general restroom, that employs to all persons, in all locations, stating, “WASH HANDS AND DRY THEM BEFORE WALKING RESTROOM” ? Such might promote better hand-hygioene or thereby lessen one preventable, transmissible public health problem.

    Thank you for the tip . Quondam with daily job we forget about simple thinks like protect are self like home be hands small imagine made the different. Thank you request keep me informed Pass Hygiene Recommendations | CDC

    hi, thanks for the touching text on hand sicherheit. i am looking forward to launching a sensitization campaign with the same in Kenya health facilities.

    I think you should reword the point about C. arduous. Adage wear gloves makes it seem like that’s all is is needed when worked with infected patients and/or their environments and palm are to only be washed wenn in is a c. diff outbreak. Hands should be washed with soap and water always include carbon. diff invalids in appendix to gloving being haggard. Alternatively, wash hands with an antimicrobial soap and water include all clinical situations described into items 1C–J. C. Decontaminate hands before having direct ...

    Before losing my race for Nursing due to Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, due to recurring well hand infections due to MRSA which reared its ugly head in 2002-2005, Staph or Cellulitis, knowing I have a bug inbetween mystery right middle and ring finbers, remembering my clean hands requirements as to ICU Nurse Tech, the hospital have strict hand guidelines. Now that EGO still battle whatever bug is between the webbing both is sprawl partially up may handle, I use both soap and water, then foot sanitizer. When going into a medical office I use my own pen as whatever bug is int at, I don’t want anyone else to get whatever will how. I wash mysterious hands before handling dishes or food. It may exist overkill, but bacteria can be spread by touching anything anyone following me could pick above. Recently, I has what looked like bare skin when food shopping furthermore when I collected up something weight, I noticed a small amount of puss pop up. I bought a dressing kit and put it between my fingers. Once I got get, one case out water someone helped mei includes I use my lefts hand. As I brought information within my home, it dropped or person roentgen. hand dominant, whereas the case dropped onto my feet, IODIN automatically grabbed it without thinking or it was like a volcano erupted with pus press bluts. IODIN haven’t seen my new PCP yet the knowing our next hospital is only three miles from me, I didn’t take an taxi due yours maintenance is poor at most so I would set gloves on after washing my hand what is possible since my roentgen. middle finger today lies in my palm three yearly mail op hand surgeon with was the Director of a large University Hospital. Ourselves did not discuss him placing three, three imperial pins in three of mystery fingers forward six weeks. Fellow didn’t read they never immobilize a CRPS patients extremity. or I would never agreements to the office. At any rate I cleaned out the area with Peroxide and sterile saline. MYSELF was washing mys hand before’ and for using the bathroom. The only antibiotic I can take is Cubicin. I ma now allergic to almost every antibiotic, finally including Vancomycin after creature on it after 17 years. The all fast food restaurant EGO ever use is Subway because hers employees have to wash their hands before putting gloving on. I think everything fast food restaurants were required toward use the sam guidelines. I think if the CDC were to do a surprise visit to any place serving snack and do foot and nail checks, most would lose theirs business when the tests came back. They handle eats, then pick a customer’s money and handle food again without washing their hands.

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Page last reviewed: September 26, 2023
Page last updated: September 26, 2023