Washing your hands might seem like a small, simple habit, but it’s one of the most important and effective ways to protect yourself and others from unwanted germs. Your hands are busy all day — touching doorknobs, typing on keyboards, swiping your phone and countless other things. But with every surface you touch, invisible germs are left behind or picked up, which can cause an illness if introduced to your body.
An Ugly Truth
Let’s get real about what’s lurking on our hands. Hands, particularly under our fingernails, are home to countless bacteria, viruses and fungi. In fact, according to Pfizer — one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies — our hands carry an average of 3,200 different germs belonging to 150 unique species, but the transmission of these germs can be reduced through proper hand washing.
If you could look under a microscope, you’d find dirt, oils and germs like E. coli, staphylococcus, and even fecal matter, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These microbes can live under fingernails and around cuticles for days, even after washing with water alone. It’s estimated that each square inch of skin has around 1,500 bacteria, and the area under your nails can be even worse. When not properly washed, these germs can spread quickly, making us sick and transferring to others.
Shaking Nasty Habits
Hand washing becomes even more critical when you consider common habits like touching your face. Studies have shown that people touch their faces more than 20 times per hour. And every time you touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, germs get a free ticket into your body. For example, rubbing your eyes with unwashed hands can introduce bacteria that cause conjunctivitis (pink eye). Touching your mouth can invite germs into your respiratory system, leading to colds or more serious respiratory infections.
Nail-biting, a habit many adults and kids share, is especially risky. When you bite your nails, you’re essentially putting a mix of everything you’ve touched that day right into your mouth. So, if you’ve recently touched a contaminated surface, you’re directly transferring those germs to where they can make you sick. Beyond that, nail-biting can also damage the skin around the nails, creating small cuts that let bacteria enter the bloodstream, leading to painful infections or illnesses.
How to Stay Germ-Free
To effectively remove germs, it’s essential to wash hands properly. Rinsing with water alone isn’t enough. Use soap, lather for at least 20 seconds, and make sure to scrub under your nails and between fingers. When soap and water aren’t available, a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol can be a good alternative.
Instilling this habit in kids and practicing it as adults can make a big difference in overall health. Regular hand washing has been shown to reduce respiratory illnesses by about 21% and reduce the risk of diarrheal diseases by up to 31%, according to the CDC. This small habit can help keep the whole family healthier by preventing the spread of germs and reducing the frequency of sickness.
So, next time you’re tempted to skip the sink or rush through a hand wash, think about the germs on your hands and where they might end up. A few seconds of scrubbing is a small investment for a big health payoff!
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