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Hand washing with soap and water has been considered a measure of personal hygiene for centuries and has been generally embedded in religious and cultural habits. Nevertheless, the link between hand washing and the spread of disease was established only two centuries ago, although this can be considered as relatively early with respect to the discoveries of Pasteur and Lister that occurred decades later. Paper Towel Dispenser Toronto

Little research has been conducted on the behavior of people in real-life washroom scenarios. With most research centering on clinical/medical environments, the outcomes and  conclusions discussed in this paper are very much biased in the direction of extreme hygiene standards. More research is required into the relationship between hand washing, hand drying and hygiene in everyday situations. Paper Towel Dispenser Toronto

With a strong focus on microbiological factors, most existing research on hand drying systems assumes that effective hand washing and drying should result in a quantitative reduction of micro-organisms on a subject’s hands. drying (9 seconds). More recent studies similarly concluded that there were no significant differences between use of paper towel, cloth towel and hot air hand drying systems. Paper Towel Dispenser Toronto

Believing that hand drying must meet two key requirements, ‘(a) the efficient removal of bacteria, and (b) the prevention of transmission of bacteria to others’, Hot air hand drying resulted in only 9% removal of bacteria, while cotton and paper towels showed 68% and 55% reduction in bacteria respectively. The comparative study included a laboratory analysis of the number of bacteria remaining of hands after drying with three models of warm air dryers, cotton towel and paper towel.

Micro-organisms found on the skin can be described as:

• Resident Flora – normal flora or ‘commensal organisms’, forming part of the body’s normal defence mechanisms, and protecting the skin from invasion by more harmful micro-organisms. They rarely cause disease and are of minor significance in routine clinical situations. However, during surgery or other invasive procedures, resident flora may enter deep tissues and establish infections. Removal of these organisms is desirable in these situations, by following the surgical scrub technique. Paper Towel Dispenser Toronto

• Transient Flora –those acquired by touch e.g. from the environment, touching patients, laundry, equipment etc. They are located superficially on the skin, readily transmitted to the next thing touched, and are responsible for the majority of healthcare–associated infections. They are easily removed by hand decontamination. Paper Towel Dispenser Toronto

Routine hand washing use liquid soap and water, and follow this procedure:

1. Wet hands thoroughly under running water

2. Dispense one dose of liquid soap into a cupped hand

3. Wash hands vigorously – cover all surfaces as per 6-step technique hand hygiene poster

4. Rinse hands thoroughly under running water

5. Turn off taps using elbows (or a paper towel if taps are not elbow-operated)

6. Dry hands with disposable paper towels

7. Hand washing should take 15 – 30 seconds

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