Proper Hand Washing
Whether in your home kitchen or working in a
commercial restaurant, if hands contact germs from unwashed
produce
and raw meats, can then transfer disease to you, your
family, and your customers.
Medical doctors and local health departments
advise that thoroughly washing your hands is the most
important good health habit to survive the flu and cold
seasons. It sounds too easy, but hand washing really works
to physically flush away germs from your hands down the
drain.
Remember to always wash your hands:
-
Before starting work in the kitchen.
-
Before touching ready-to-eat foods when
dining out.
-
Before you touch anything used to prepare
food.
-
After working with raw meat, fish,
poultry, and unwashed vegetables and fruits.
-
After handling trash, delivery boxes, mop
buckets, and other soiled equipment.
-
After using the bathroom or changing a
diaper.
-
After loading soiled dishes and silverware
into the dishwasher.
-
After using cleaners and chemicals.
-
After blowing your nose or touching hair,
mouth, sores, etc.
The best way to wash your hands takes
about 20 seconds:
-
Wet your hands with warm water.
-
Apply soap to wet hands.
-
Rub your hands briskly together to loosen
any dirt and germs.
-
Once the palms and backs of hands are
sudsy, scratch each palm with the opposite hand's nails
and knuckles to further clean those crevices where
microbes are hiding.
-
Rinse your hands under clean, warm water.
-
Dry your hands on a paper towel or with an
air dryer; not on a common cotton cloth or on an apron,
which will re-contaminate your cleaned hands.
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