The Power of Proper Hand Hygiene: Why the Right Technique Matters
Hand hygiene isn’t just a tick-box exercise—it’s the frontline of defence in keeping our workplaces, schools, hospitals, and communities safe and healthy. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, facilities manager, or work in any high-footfall environment, mastering the best hand hygiene technique is critical.
This World Hand Hygiene Day, we’re spotlighting the most effective way to clean your hands, using a simple, step-by-step method supported by the World Health Organization (WHO), summarised in our Andarta® Hand Hygiene Guide
Why Hand Hygiene and Hand Washing Matters
We touch thousands of surfaces every day, from-door handles and lift buttons to equipment and keyboards. Each one is a potential transmission point for harmful bacteria and viruses. According to the NHS, proper hand washing can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses and diarrhoeal diseases by up to 40%, and reduce respiratory illnesses, like colds by 16-21%.
You may have come across two commonly used approaches: the 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene and the 7 Steps of Hand Washing. Both are essential, but they serve different purposes in different settings. Understanding the different approaches can help you choose the right approach for your workplace, and keep hand hygiene standards high.
The 5 Moments For Hand Hygiene
The 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene are all about when you should clean your hands. Understanding The 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene is vital, particularly in healthcare and clinical environments. They guide you on when to clean your hands to prevent cross-contamination – namely, at the following 5 critical points:
1. Before touching a patient (or user)
2. Before a clean/aseptic procedure
3. After body fluid exposure risk
4. After touching a patient
5. After touching patient surroundings
‘Each moment’ acts as a decision point’ – a reminder to pause and clean your hands after potential contact with germs, and break the chain of infection.
The 7 Moments of Hand Washing – How to Wash Your Hands
While the 5 Moments explain when to wash our hands, the 7 Moments of Hand Washing (also known as the “7-stage technique”) is all about how to wash your hands effectively. It’s recommended that you should wash your hands for the amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice—around 20 seconds in total – completing the following 7 steps:
1. Palm to palm
2. Back of hands
3. Interlace fingers
4. Back of fingers
5. Base of thumbs
6. Fingernails and fingertips
7. Wrists
Each hygiene step targets specific areas of the hands—places where germs tend to linger. This technique is particularly important in food handling, janitorial services, education, and in ensuring general workplace hygiene.
Spotlight on Two Commonly Missed Steps
Our Andarta® Hand Washing Guide makes these steps easy to follow with clear, visual instructions. However, there are two key actions that are often overlooked:
- Step 5 – Base of thumbs – Rubbing each thumb in a rotational motion. It’s an area that’s frequently missed, but is essential for thorough coverage.
- Step 7 – Wrists – Rubbing your wrists is a crucial final step. Germs can linger here and easily spread if not properly cleaned.
Skipping these steps weakens your defence. Taking just a few extra seconds to include them ensures your hand hygiene is truly effective.
Want to improve hygiene standards in your workplace or organisation? Whether you’re looking for hand hygiene training, the right cleaning products, or support in selecting the best equipment for your environment, we are here to help.
Contact us today 01743 283600 or askarrow@arrowcounty.com
Browse our hand hygiene posters below
