Hand washing, simple and effective!
Using antiseptic products
You can use an alcohol-based product to disinfect
your hands if they are not visibly soiled.
• Put a bit of disinfectant in the hollow of your hand.
• Rub it on all surfaces of your hands: your fingers,
between your fingers, your thumbs, your palms,
the back of your hands, and your nails.
• Keep rubbing until your hands have dried.
Tips
• If you can wash your hands with soap and water,
do that instead.
• Keep disinfectant products out of reach of children.
They are safe to use, but they must not be
swallowed. Young children must be supervised
when using them.
Set an example
and wash your hands
frequently!
To wash your hands properly,
follow these steps:
1. Wet your hands with
lukewarm water.
2. Apply soap.
3. Rub your hands together
for 15 to 20 seconds.
4. It is important to thoroughly soap all
surfaces of both hands: your fingers,
between your fingers, your thumbs,
your palms, the back of your hands,
and your nails.
5. Rinse your hands
with running water.
6. Dry your hands with a paper towel,
a clean cloth towel, or a hand dryer.
7. Turn off the tap with the paper towel,
if available.
Wash your hands regularly
to avoid contracting infections
Over the course of the day, you touch numerous
objects that may have been contaminated by viruses
and bacteria left there by you or by others. When
you touch your eyes, your nose, or your mouth,
you increase your risk of catching common
infections such as colds, flu, and gastro.
Everyone needs to wash
their hands:
children and adults of all ages, workers in all fields
(hospitals, restaurants, day cares, etc.), whether they
are sick or not.
It is important to wash your hands:
• when they are visibly soiled;
• after sneezing or coughing;
• after wiping your or a child’s nose;
• before handling food;
• after handling food;
• after using the washroom.
Did you know that hand washing is
an excellent way of preventing transmission
of infections from one person to another?
There are lots of ways to make
a difference
• Wash your hands often with soap and water.
There is no need to use an antibacterial soap.
• Teach your children and loved ones to wash their
hands and encourage them to do it frequently.
• Make sure that soap is available around you:
in washrooms, at your child’s school, at your
workplace, and where you eat.
msss.gouv.qc.ca/grippe
