Horoi o ringa ringa - wash your hands clean!

Washing your hands is the most effective way to stop the spread of gastro, colds and flu!

We all need to wash our hands more often and thoroughly, especially:

• after the toilet or changing a nappy
• before, during and after preparing food
• after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing (ideally use a hanky or the crook of your arm instead of into your hands which you still wash anyway!)
• when hands are visibly dirty
• as soon as you get at home
• after shopping, using public transport and facilities
• after touching money; using the eftpos key pad or money machine
• after handling or patting animals
• before and after taking care of someone who is sick
• when you enter and leave a healthcare facility

How to wash hands correctly: Use a bar of soap – it doesn’t need to be antibacterial. 
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• 1. Remove all jewellery, even rings, to reach all surfaces on your hands.
• 2. Wet hands with running water (preferably warm).
• 3. Apply soap. Normal soap is just as good as antibacterial soap.
• 4. Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces, including the back of your hands and        between your fingers.
• 5. Rub hands together 20 seconds.
• 6. Rinse hands, making sure you remove all soap.
• 7. Turn off tap using the towel or paper towel.
• 8. Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean hand towel or air dryer if in a public toilet.

Where I come from in New Zealand, local Maori always wash their hands after leaving a sacred site, significant place or cemetery, and at school all kids learn ‘horoi o ringa ringa’  wash your hands clean.

 
Children need to wash their hands as often as adults and singing a song can make it fun!

To the tune of ‘happy birthday’ sing:  
‘Wash my hands so good and clean
Wash my fingers and in between
Watch the germs all go away
Now they’re clean, I’ll go and play’
(singing twice gives a 20 second hand wash.)


Babies should have their hands washed too using a wet, soapy flannel and always making sure the soap is rinsed off and their hands dried thoroughly.

Soap by Monica

Dr Monica Plane the very talented Chiropractor also makes soap!
Monica’s soaps are hand made using only the purest natural ingredients and can be purchased from the clinic.

Monica’s personal favourite? Spearmint and lemongrass.

My favourite Soap by Monica is Almond Milk Confetti – uplifting and soothing. Beautiful!



Effective hand washing is essential to the prevention of health care associated (nosocomial) infections and the transmission of antimicrobial resistance aka superbugs.
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Research shows that improved hand washing among healthcare workers:

• reduces the spread of germs in hospital settings
• protects both patients and healthcare workers
• reduces the number of healthcare associated infections.

2019 Australian hand washing data from over 1000 public and private healthcare organisations including 971 hospitals shows an average handwashing rate of 86%. Nurse compliance is 88.6% followed by doctors at 74.4%.
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By profession, Dental Therapists are the best hand washers at over 90% across the board.


Western Australian hospitals have improved access to hand hygiene products. Your healthcare worker should always perform hand hygiene in front of you. If you don’t see them do it, remind them!

This recent article on the topic is well worth reading 


Horoi o ringa ringa! 
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References:     https://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/Facts-about-hand-hygiene
                        https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/hand-washing
                        https://www.hha.org.au/