{"id":6837,"date":"2026-04-08T21:26:40","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:26:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartreproductivehealth.com\/?p=6837"},"modified":"2026-04-08T21:26:43","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:26:43","slug":"hand-hygiene-during-menstrual-periods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartreproductivehealth.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/08\/hand-hygiene-during-menstrual-periods\/","title":{"rendered":"Hand Hygiene During Menstrual Periods."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hand hygiene, is the process of cleaning our hands with solid or liquid soap<\/a>  and water<\/a> to eliminate bacteria<\/a>, viruses<\/a>, dirt<\/a>, microorganisms<\/a>, and other potentially harmful substances. Drying of the washed hands is equally important because wet and moist hands are more easily re-contaminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 In the absence of soap and water, hand sanitizer<\/a> that is at least 60% (v\/v<\/a>) alcohol<\/a> in water can be used as long as hands are not visibly excessively dirty or greasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Hand hygiene is central to preventing the spread of infectious diseases<\/a>.  Regular hand washing significantly reduces respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. The World Health Organization<\/a> (WHO) recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds before and after certain activities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why practice good hygiene during our periods?     <\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to UNICEF, turning hand-washing with soap before eating and after using the toilet into an ingrained habit can save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menstrual hygiene is important for your health \u2013 it can help prevent infections, reduce odors, and keep you comfortable during your period. This is guaranteed when we wash hands before and after using a menstrual product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we wash our hands?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> (CDC) recommends the following steps when washing one’s hands for the prevention of transmission of disease:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Wet hands with running water. \u00a0Running water is recommended because standing basins may be contaminated, while the temperature of the water does not seem to make a difference, however some experts suggest warm, tepid water may be superior.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Lather<\/a>\u00a0hands with a generous amount of soap, including the thumbs, wrists, the backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. \u00a0Scrub for\u00a0at least 20 seconds<\/em>. Scrubbing creates friction, which helps remove pathogens from skin. According to the CDC, scrubbing with soap for at least 20 seconds is necessary to remove most germs effectively, regardless of water temperature.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Rinse<\/a>\u00a0well under running water. Rinsing in a basin can re-contaminate hands.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Dry with a clean towel or allow to air dry. Wet and moist hands are more easily re-contaminated.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

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    What do we need to wash our hands?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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    Soap and detergents<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Removal of microorganisms from skin is enhanced by the addition of soaps<\/a> or detergents<\/a> to water. that kill microorganisms<\/a> by denaturing<\/a> their proteins<\/a>. It also emulsifies<\/a> oils, enabling them to be carried away by running water. The most important factor is proper scrubbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Antiseptics (hand sanitizer)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Upon application, the front and back of both hands and between and the ends of all fingers must be rubbed for approximately 30 seconds until the liquid, foam or gel is dry. The increasing use of these agents is based on their ease of use and rapid killing activity against micro-organisms. Despite their effectiveness, non-water agents do not cleanse the hands of organic material, but simply disinfect them. It is for this reason that hand sanitizers are not as effective as soap and water at preventing the spread of many pathogens, since the pathogens remain on the hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> recommend hand washing with soap over hand sanitizer rubs, particularly when hands are visibly dirty. Hand sanitizers are most effective against bacteria and less effective against some viruses. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are almost entirely ineffective against nor-virus<\/a> (or Norwalk) type viruses, the most common cause of contagious gastroenteritis. They should not serve as a replacement for proper hand washing unless soap and water are unavailable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Wipes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Hand washing using hand sanitizing wipes<\/a> is an alternative during traveling in the absence of soap and water.  Alcohol-based hand sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Drying with towels or hand driers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Effective drying of the hands is an essential part of the hand hygiene process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are clear and straightforward concerning hand hygiene, and recommend paper towels and hand dryers equally. The CDC report that, “Both [paper towels or air hand dryers] are effective ways to dry hands.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The World Health Organization has “Five Moments” for washing hands:<\/p>\n\n\n\n