Use Your Voice for Clean Hands

As a patient in a health care setting, you are at risk of getting an infection while you are being treated for something else. Patients and their loved ones can play a role in asking and reminding health care providers to wash their hands. Your hands can spread germs too, so protect yourself by washing your hands often. Hand-washing is one of the most important ways to prevent infections.

When should your health care providers wash their hands?

• Every time they enter an exam/procedure room and before touching you

• Before wearing gloves

• After removing gloves

• Wearing gloves alone is not enough to prevent the spread of infection

• Before starting any tasks on you (taking blood pressure, drawing blood, etc..)

• After contact with body fluids, nonintact skin, wound dressings

• When their hands are visibly soiled

• Upon leaving the exam room

Use your voice for clean hands

• Don’t be afraid to use your voice: it’s ok to ask your health care providers to wash their hands.

• For better results, you too should wash your hands often.

When should I wash my hands?

• After touching hospital surfaces such as bedrails, bedside tables, doorknobs, remote controls

• Before eating 

• Before, during and after preparing food

• After using the restroom 

• After coughing, sneezing or caring for someone who is ill 

• After taking out the garbage 

• After petting animals 

How should I wash my hands?

• With an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

  • Put product on hands and rub hands together.

  • Cover all surfaces until hands feel dry.

  • This should take around 15 seconds or more.

• With soap and water:

  • Wet your hands with warm water. Use liquid soap if possible. Apply a nickel- or quarter-sized amount of soap to your hands.

  • Rub your hands together until the soap forms a lather and then rub all over the top of your hands, in between your fingers and the area around and under the fingernails.

  • Continue rubbing your hands for at least 15 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.

  • Rinse your hands well under running water.

  • Dry your hands using a paper towel if possible. Then use your paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door if needed.