I don’t know about you, but I feel like I say, “Dry your hands properly, please!” to my kids at least 10 times per day.
The interesting thing is that we all know that the best way to prevent the spread of germs is to wash your hands regularly. But did you know that if you fail to dry your hands properly it can actually promote bacterial growth? Bacteria grow best on moist, warm surfaces.
So when we fail to completely dry our hands we’re creating the perfect environment for bacteria to replicate in a way that wouldn’t be possible if our hands were dry.
Why You May Not Dry Your Hands
What’s worse, wet hands often become bloody / cracked hands, especially in the winter. Cracked / open wounds on the skin allow bacteria and other germs easier access to your bloodstream; which increases your chances of getting sick.
Now, take a child who already doesn’t like to take the time to wash their hands, and add in that washing them is now painful, and you can see why they don’t want to wash more than they absolutely have to. It becomes a vicious cycle.
Why Is Hand Drying Not Emphasized?
Because it is so important to dry your hands properly, we’ve decided to make it a point of emphasis in our household. The problem is, most instructional videos almost completely ignore this step. Watch the following videos to see what I mean…
Interestingly enough, my 5 year old tries to dry his hands the same way the child does in the video by Howcast. My son’s technique is almost indescribable. It’s almost like he tries to spin the (paper) towel around his hands in one fell swoop, and then he’s done. The towel barely gets wet, and his hands are left visibly dripping.
How My Family Is Teaching Hand Drying
Seeing as how all of ORNS’s classrooms use paper towels (which apparently are the most sanitary way of drying your hands) as the primary method of drying their hands, it’s best we take the time to show our kids how to slow down and properly dry their hands.
Now, I’m sure there are better techniques than what I am about to explain, but this is how I have been trying to teach my son how to dry his hands:
- Take 1 paper towel from the dispenser.
- Hold it like a taco in your right hand.
- Start drying off the pinky finger of your left hand. Make sure to dry between the pinky and ring finger.
- Then move onto the ring finger, ensuring that you also dry between the ring and middle fingers.
- Continue this process until you get to your thumb.
- Assuming the towel is still dry enough, have them rub the back of their left hand and wrist, and then move onto the palm of their hand.
- If the towel is super wet, throw it away and grab a new towel.
- Repeat steps 1-7 with the left hand holding the paper towel like a taco and drying the right hand.
Lotion, Lotion, Lotion…
Then, whenever possible, have your child take a nickel-sized drop of unscented moisturizing lotion and have them moisturize their hands and wrists. This will help to ensure that their skin stays intact longer during the winter months.
Be A Good Role Model
But the most important thing we can do for our kids is to make sure we model proper handwashing and drying ourselves. Kids will imitate what they see, so if we’re only washing our hands for a few seconds and then hastily drying our hands, they will do the same.
The same thing goes for when we wash our hands. If we want our kids to wash before eating, after they go to the bathroom, or when they come in from the outside, we need to do the same. And then we need to be patient, remind our kids to do it, and then have them redo something if they didn’t do it properly the first time.
One Last Thing…
Did you know that you’re not supposed to rub your hands together when you use a non-rapid drying hand dryer? I didn’t. But apparently, doing this “can bring bacteria that live within the skin to the surface”. So it’s best to either avoid these dryers all together, or just let the hand dryer dry your hands without rubbing them.
Before you go, check out some of our previous posts!
Printable Resources:
- “Handwashing: Step by Step” by Sesame Street
https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/activities/teaching-handwashing/ - Tips on how to dry your hands, and why paper towels are the best for germ prevention.
https://waterandhealth.org/disinfect/resist-flu-washing-drying-hands-appropriately/ - “A Fun Way to Teach Kids About Handwashing”
https://waterandhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/A_Fun_Way_to_Teach_Kids_about_Hand_Washing.pdf
Videos Resources:
- Sesame Street “Handwashing” Song
https://youtu.be/-tPWKVeznHI - Faucet Extender
https://youtu.be/tMfbiUAdRQI