Squeaky Clean: Wash, Wipe, or Squirt? When your hands are dirty do you reach for soap, hand sanitizer, or a wipe? In this experiment I decided to put these methods of cleaning your hands to the test by rubbing my hands with bacteria and then dousing them with a hand cleaner. This report will cover what bacteria is, how soap and water kill bacteria, and the origin of hand sanitizer.
What Are Bacteria? Bacteria are miniscule single-celled organisms that are found everywhere (“What is Bacteria? What are Bacteria?” 2009). It is impossible to escape bacteria. They are everywhere. They are in your stomach and in the air. Some bacteria are beneficial while others can kill (“Bacteria and Hand Washing”). The most common bacteria found on hands is Staphylococcus epidermidis, or Staph. Staph is harmless when it is just on your hands but if it enters the body via a cut it can be very dangerous (Kelly, Krucik).
Why Should You Clean Your Hands? Cleaning and washing your hands is the best way to stop germs and bacteria from spreading. You touch millions of objects a day and each object has millions of bacteria. From the kitchen sink to your coffee cup, everything is covered in bacteria. Just imagine how many bacteria are in your hands right now(Gavin)!
Hand Sanitizer The idea of hand sanitizer has exploded from a joke to a $175 million dollar business. Now when you walk into a store hand sanitizer rules the shelves. Does hand sanitizer even work? Recent study has concluded that although hand sanitizer does remove germs it can not cut through dirt or grime. So, you could only really use hand sanitizer once you have already washed your hands(Collier Cool 1).
The Beginnings of Hand Sanitizer Hand Sanitizer was not always such a big business....
... middle of paper ...
...0
Mary L. Gavin, “Why Do I Need to Wash My Hands?” Kids Health March 2011
Lisa Collier Cool “Hand Sanitizers: Healthy or Hype” Yahoo Health February 11, 2013
David Owens "Hands Across America. The Rise of PURELL®." The New Yorker March 4, 2013
"Sanitizer | Define Sanitizer at Dictionary.com." 2006.
Chris Sherwood, “How Does Hand Sanitizer Kill Bacteria?” LiveStrong February 28, 2010
Jimm Harrison “To Hand Sanitize or Not to Hand Sanitize? Such a Big Question” Jimm Harrison Phytotherapy Institute August 27,2013
Jennifer Gunter “Thyme Oil vs. Alcohol Hand Sanitizer: Which is Better?” The Preemie Primer January 22, 2011
“History of Soap and Soap Interesting Facts” Soap History
Brian Fung “Soap: How Much Cleaner Does It Actually Make Your Hands?” The Atlantic June 21, 2012
Allyson T. Collins “Disinfecting Wipes May Spread, Not Kill Germs” ABC News June 3, 2008
Washing your hands properly with soap is one of the most important things you can do to reduce the number of germs, or infections you can spread. The issue that needs to be addressed, is how can we promote good hand washing habits efficiently, to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. For this reason, Kohler will be introducing the “Hygieia” in Q3 of 2016. The Hygieia is a hands free motion detecting sink that dispenses water, and soap simultaneously.
Parents and teachers encourage children to wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, touching dirty objects, and sometimes before eating. Next to every tissue box there will most likely be a bottle of hand sanitizer that kills 99.9% of germs. Both hand soap and hand sanitizer kill off the germs and bacteria that can cause infections and diseases. Which one works best? The purpose of this experiment is to show which is more effective, hand soap or hand sanitizer (Bjornsson). To prove this, Bjornsson writes up a lab using the growth of bread mold to help identify the results of both products (Bjornsson). I believe that hand soap works better than hand sanitizers because doctors remind us that we should wash our hands especially during flu season to keep us healthy. Therefore, the hypothesis for this lab is that the hand soap will be the better alternative and will slow down the growth of bread mold more than the hand sanitizer in this experiment.
According to CDC policy if the patient before Jean Deere did not have a diagnosis with the possibility of disease transmission, the proper method of hand sanitization would be alcohol based hand rub.
Health tips. Hand hygiene. (2009). Mayo Clinic Health Letter (English Ed.), 27(12), 3. Retrieved from
This literature review will analyze and critically explore four studies that have been conducted on hand hygiene compliance rates by Healthcare workers (HCWs). Firstly, it will look at compliance rates for HCWs in the intensive care units (ICU) and then explore the different factors that contribute to low hand hygiene compliance. Hospital Acquired infections (HAI) or Nosocomial Infections appear worldwide, affecting both developed and poor countries. HAIs represent a major source of morbidity and mortality, especially for patients in the ICU (Hugonnet, Perneger, & Pittet, 2002). Hand hygiene can be defined as any method that destroys or removes microorganisms on hands (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009). According to the World Health Organization (2002), a HAI can be defined as an infection occurring in a patient in a hospital or other health care facility in whom the infection was not present or incubating at the time of admission. The hands of HCWs transmit majority of the endemic infections. As
Bacteria are one cause of infectious disease. Bacteria are a single-cell microorganism that is very common in our bodies. Less than one percent of bacteria will actually make us sick. Some of the more common infections caused by bacteria include strep throat, salmonella, and e-coli. Strep throat is common in children and causes a painful sore throat. Strep is usually treated with antibiotic medication. Salmonella is spread on food that is contaminated by human or animal...
The studies provided in the literature review prove that. It is believed that hand washing is the best thing to do to kill bacteria but as study show hand sanitizing is more efficient (Michaels, 2014). The experiment mentioned before done at the University College of Health Studies proves that hand sanitizing is the best way to kill bacteria in hands (2015). The best way to prevent hospital acquired infections is to wash hands in situations where it is necessary, like when hands are visibly soiled, and use hand sanitizer in situations that are appropriate. In other words use your judgment. Because studies also show that washing hands too often can have damaging effects to hands it is not recommended to use hand washing only (Michaels, 2014). It takes about 20 seconds to wash your hands and 5 seconds to use hand sanitizer. Such a big difference can be made in the prevention of hospital acquired infections by just performing that very simple task that doesn’t take very long to do and so many lives can be saved as
Hand decontamination is the use of hand wash or alcohol rub that reduces the number of bacteria on the hands. Hand decontamination is also referred to as ‘hand hygiene’. Hand Hygiene is an integral part of nursing care, as effectively decontaminating hands significantly reduces the risk of pathogens being transferred from one surface to another, or from person to person (NICE, 2014). This means, that through practicing good hand hygiene, nurses can actively reduce the incidences of preventable healthcare associated infections, therefore improving the health and mortality of their patients.
I chose to do the effects of different disinfectants on bacteria because I have always wondered if disinfectants such as Clorox, Lysol, and hand sanitizer actually kill 99.9 percent of germs. Also, I know that there are harsh chemicals that can be damaging to us over time. Do these harsh chemicals get the job done? Maybe taking a green, organic way could be the solution in the future. My main question is which is the better disinfectant, Clorox Disinfecting Wipes or Lysol Disinfecting Wipes. I want to uncover the truth about each product and show the reality of both. Are they really getting the job done?
daily practice of washing their bacteria laden hands in water intended for a batch of
One of the most significant current discussions in nursing evidence-based practice is the effectiveness of hand hygiene interventions in reducing hospital-acquired infections. Much debate continues into the uncertainty that exists between the correlation of interventions and increased hand hygiene practices. This essay critically examines the relationship between interventions and the dubious increase in hand hygiene compliance by healthcare professionals by using the framework of evidence based practice to evaluate previous literature, identify barriers and note mechanisms used to measure effectiveness of interventions.
“Researchers in London estimate that if everyone routinely washed their hands, a million deaths a year could be prevented” (“Hygiene Fast Facts”, 2013, p. 1). Hands are the number one mode of transmission of pathogens. Hands are also vital in patient interaction, and therefore should be kept clean to protect the safety of patients and the person caring for the patient. Hand hygiene is imperative to professional nursing practice because it prevents the spread of pathogens, decreases chances of hospital-acquired infections, and promotes patient safety. There is a substantial amount of evidence that shows why hand hygiene is important in healthcare
To see which name brand of hand sanitizer will work the best in disinfecting bacteria and mold. This experiment will show people which hand sanitizer works best to stay disinfected when there is no access to soap and water when needed.
Effective hand washing is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of germs and to keep you from getting sick, because it prevents transmission of pathogens. But what exactly is the most effective way to wash hands?
But just remember that if you wear rubber gloves to clean the toilet, take them off and clean your hands before cleaning any other part of the bathroom.