Importance of Regularly Washing your Hands

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CLEVELAND - Today is Global Handwashing Day, which is held every year to help raise awareness about the importance of washing our hands. 

According to the CDC, regularly washing your hands can help reduce the spread of germs, including respiratory illnesses, by up to 21%. 

“It’s very important, especially when you're coughing or sneezing, or you feel that you have any kind of sick symptoms. This is why we had such a huge campaign for hand washing when COVID-19 came out. But it's not only COVID-19, it's RSV and it's also other communicable diseases,” said Allan Capin, MD, urgent care physician at Cleveland Clinic.

Dr. Capin said most people touch their face dozens of times a day. 

And every time we do, we risk spreading germs. 

He adds that most people are not washing their hands enough, either. 

We should wash our hands every time we cough, sneeze, use the bathroom, before and after handling food, taking out the trash, and being out in public. 

Think about the grocery store, for example. 

You’re touching a lot of shared surfaces there, including shopping carts. 

So, how long should we be washing our hands for? 

Dr. Capin recommends at least 20 seconds. 

You can use a bar of soap or liquid soap.

“The temperature does not matter either. It can be cold or warm. But the whole point here is that you have to wash them and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Then afterwards, you can rinse your hands and dry them with a clean towel. That's a proper way of doing it,” he said.

Dr. Capin also reminds people to wash under their fingernails because germs can hide there.