Hands must be washed when?

• A. Before work
• B. After using the restroom
• C. All of the above
• D. After touching your hair, sneezing, coughing, or rubbing your eyes

Answer: (C)

Hand hygiene is the primary defense against spreading infections. You should wash your hands in all the moments listed: before starting work to avoid carrying germs into tasks, after using the restroom to remove germs from the bathroom area, and after actions that can contaminate hands like touching your hair, sneezing, coughing, or rubbing your eyes. Each of these moments presents a risk of transferring germs to yourself, others, or surfaces, so washing is required in all of them. For effective hand washing, wet hands, apply soap, scrub for at least 20 seconds, rinse, and dry, paying attention to the fingertips, between the fingers, and under the nails. If hands aren’t visibly dirty and water isn’t available, an alcohol-based sanitizer can be used as a temporary measure, but washing with soap and water is preferred in these scenarios.