Wash Your Hands To Stay Healthy!

A Brief History of Hand Washing

  It’s hard to imagine a time in recent human history where washing your hands was not even a consideration. Sure, if we go back far enough there was a time when other day to day matters were more pressing: hunting and gathering, finding shelter, and simply staying alive. But that is a moment in human evolution that 21st century humans have trouble relating to. Anthropology is a fascinating subject and a favorite of mine ever since I first learned about ancient civilizations as a kid in grade school. We know that ancient Greek culture had hot and cold running showers. Ancient Olympic athletes bathed after competition and training. We know that ancient Rome had running water and public baths and toilets. Ancient Chinese cities had an early form of plumbing and sewers going back thousands of years. Ancient Egypt had plumbing systems connected to the Nile river so that some homes could have running water. Wealthy Egyptians had toilets. So on some level, humans have long recognized the importance of hygiene. The need to have a system of sewage and running water was not just something based on convenience. We recognized the need to wash our food, to bathe ourselves and maintain clean homes, however crude and rudimentary they might have been many centuries ago. Somewhere along the way, we discovered that being clean feels good and it is good for us. I like to imagine early humans immersing themselves in rivers and oceans and coming out feeling renewed and refreshed. The earliest of spa treatments you could say. 

  So let’s take a look at more recent history. Now this is hard to imagine and for those of you with weak stomachs I apologize in advance. Not so long ago, in the 1800s, doctors did not wash their hands either before or after performing surgery and other medical procedures. Doctors would often perform an autopsy and then attend to a child birth WITHOUT WASHING THEIR HANDS! I did a bit of a double take when I first learned about this but it’s absolutely true. We can thank Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian doctor working in Vienna General Hospital in 1846. Dr. Semmelweis noticed that the death rate for mothers being attended to by doctors and medical students was much higher than the death rate for those moms who used a midwife instead of a doctor. He wanted to know why. What was the difference? What he discovered was sickening by modern standards. Doctors were delivering babies with extremely dirty hands (think autopsies and surgeries). No hand washing from one activity to the next. Midwives generally had cleaner hands and the moms did not develop infections as often. It seems like common sense in 2021 doesn’t it? Well it did to Dr. Semmelweis as well. He implemented a hand washing protocol for all doctors and the death rate of new moms fell dramatically. At the same time, the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), also recognized the importance of hand washing and made it mandatory for all her nurses. Predictably, the rate of infection among patients her nurses treated fell dramatically. You can read more here in these very interesting articles:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/keep-it-clean-the-surprising-130-year-history-of-handwashing

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/handwashing-once-controversial-medical-advice

https://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2020/05/11/brief-history-of-handwashing

  Alright, it’s time for you to fall out of your chair again. I know I did. We are going to fast forward to 1980. Yes, the 1980 that happened 31 years ago. I was 12. Having said that I realize I just gave away my age but that’s alright. I’m told that 50 is the new 30 so I really haven’t aged in 31 years. Let’s carry on. 

  The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) published their first national guidelines on hand washing in 1980. Those guidelines did not exist prior to 1980. Here is another kicker and I’m going to give you the direct quotation for this one, “In 1995, the CDC’s Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee began to recommend that healthcare providers clean their hands with antimicrobial soap or a waterless antiseptic agent when they leave the rooms of patients with bacteria and other microorganisms that are resistant to medications. In 2002, guidelines added alcohol-based hand sanitizers as standard of care for keeping hands clean in healthcare settings.”  https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a31982721/history-washing-hands/

  1995! I will allow you a minute to pick yourself up and get comfortable again. We’re almost done here, I promise. And we will have a happy ending. 

The Experts Weigh In

FROM THE CDC:

Follow Five Steps to Wash Your Hands the Right Way

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Clean hands can stop germs from spreading from one person to another and throughout an entire community—from your home and workplace to childcare facilities and hospitals.

Follow these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Why? Read the science behind the recommendations.

From Health Canada https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/diseases/benefits-hand-washing.html:

How Hand Washing Reduces Health Risks

Hand-to-hand contact can spread mild conditions, such as the common cold, but also more severe or life-threatening diseases. Infectious diseases are a particular risk to the very young, the elderly, those with a pre-existing disease, and people with a compromised immune system, such as those with HIV or AIDS.

Proper Methods of Hand Washing

Although hand washing might seem like a simple task, you should follow these steps to thoroughly rid your hands of germs.

Using Soap

• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Alcohol-based hand cleansers are useful when soap and water are not available. In most cases antibacterial soap is not necessary for safe, effective hand hygiene.
• Remove any hand or arm jewelry you may be wearing and wet your hands with warm water. Add regular soap and rub your hands together, ensuring you have lathered all surfaces for at least 15 seconds. How long is 15 seconds? The length of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday.
• Wash the front and back of your hands, as well as between your fingers and under your nails.
• Rinse your hands well under warm running water, using a rubbing motion.
• Wipe and dry your hands gently with a paper towel or a clean towel. Drying them vigorously can damage the skin.
• Turn off the tap using the paper towel so that you do not re-contaminate your hands. When using a public bathroom, use the same paper towel to open the door when you leave.
• If skin dryness is a problem, use a moisturizing lotion.

If you have sensitive skin or are in a position where you must wash your hands constantly (as a healthcare worker must), you might want to use an alcohol-based hand rub instead.

Using Alcohol-based Hand Rubs

• An alcohol-based hand rub can be used if soap and water are not available.
• If your hands are visibly soiled, it is best to use soap and water. If it's not possible to wash with soap and water, use towelettes to remove the soil, then use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Use hand rubs according to the manufacturer's instructions. Make sure your hands are dry, as wet hands will dilute the product.
• Use enough product to cover all the surfaces of your hands and fingers.
• Rub your hands together until the product has evaporated. If dry skin is a problem, use a moisturizing lotion.

Why Legit Raw Hand Soaps?

  I promised you a happy ending so here it is. We know the importance of hand washing and hygiene. Covid-19 has made us acutely aware of how viruses are spread and what we can do to prevent ourselves from getting sick. 

  In our first blog post we discussed the use of natural ingredients in Legit Raw hand soaps. You can read our product labels and look at our list of ingredients. You can use your nose to smell the natural goodness of our essential oil blends. What I can tell you from my personal experience is this: Legit Raw hand soaps do not leave your hands feeling dry, cracked or sore. I wash my hands constantly now and no matter how often I wash my hands, Legit Raw hand soaps leave my hands feeling soft and clean. This has not been my experience with other hand soaps. I always found that when I washed too often, my hands would begin to hurt. My skin would crack or feel very dry. It’s problem solved for me and my hands have never felt better. At Legit Raw we believe you will have the same experience. 

I'm Carlo Santin, co-founder of Legit Raw. I'm also an educator by day, a husband and a father of two sons. Welcome.