Hand Washing Resource Page

The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba conducts an ongoing public awareness campaign aimed at helping Manitobans stay healthier. One of our province-wide campaigns targets hand hygiene - hand washing - as an effective, easy way to stop the spread of illness and disease in the home, in the workplace, at school and in public places. Washing your hands only takes 15 seconds, about the time it takes to sing your ABCs, and is one of the most effective ways to stop the spread of illness and disease. Links to the components of our hand washing campaign are posted below. To add to the educational materials, we are pleased to link to a number of resources with additional information. Manitoba's registered nurses encourage you to make frequent hand washing a habit.

"Proper handwashing with soap and water is an important barrier to many infectious diseases and promotes better health and well-being…handwashing is one of the most practical and effective ways of preventing the spread of disease." World Health Organization (WHO)

"Handwashing is the single best way for parents, caregivers, and child care staff to reduce the spread of infection among children." Canadian Institute of Child Health (CICH)

"Handwashing is one of the most important means of preventing the spread of infection" according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Wash our hands! It is what our mothers always told us- and they were right. Hand washing is the most effective way of reducing the transmission of disease". The Canadian Journal of Infection Control, Spring 1999 (CJIC)

Here are some situations when you should wash your hands to reduce the chance of spreading "germs":

• When hands are visibly dirty or soiled.
• After using the washroom (includes changing diapers).
• After blowing your nose or after sneezing in your hands.
• Before and after eating, handling food, drinking or smoking.
• After touching raw meat, poultry, or fish.
• After handling garbage.
• Before and after visiting or caring for sick people.
• After handling pets, animals or animal waste.
• After touching commonly used public surfaces or shared items.
• After returning home from work, school or outdoor activities.

For effective hand washing, follow these steps:

• Remove any rings or other jewelry,
• Use warm water and wet your hands thoroughly,
• Use soap (1-3 mL) and lather very well,
• Scrub your hands thoughouly, including between your fingers, up to and including your wrists with soap for 10 to 20 seconds (about the time it takes to sing your A-B-Cs),
• Don't forget to scrub under your nails,
• Rinse thoroughly,
• Turn off the taps/faucets with a paper towel,
• Dry your hands with a single use towel or air dryer,
• Protect your hands from touching dirty surfaces as you leave the bathroom. (use the paper towel to open the door and discard it afterwards).

• Cover cuts with bandages and wear gloves for added protection (cuts are very vulnerable to infections).
• Artificial nails and chipped nail polish have been associated with an increase in the number of bacteria on the fingernails. Be sure to clean the nails properly.
• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Assume that contact with any human body fluids is infectious.
• Liquid soap in disposable containers is best. If using reusable containers, they should be washed and dried before refilling. If using a bar of soap, be sure to set it on a rack that allows water to drain or use small bars that can be changed frequently.

*Adapted from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

Hand washing posters are available free of charge for schools, businesses, registered nurses, and members of the public. To order, send an email to or call (204) 774-3477.

• Handwashing Poster (English) (pdf - 2.36 MB)
• Handwashing Poster (French) (pdf - 6.41 MB)
• 60 sec TV Ad - Influenza (wmv - 6.21 MB)
• 60 sec TV Ad - Around the House (wmv - 6.03 MB)
• 30 sec TV Ad - Around the House (wmv - 3.07 MB)
• 60 sec TV Ad - Teenagers (wmv - 6.07 MB)
• 30 sec TV Ad - Teenagers (wmv - 3.06 MB)
• 60 sec TV Ad - Germs All Around Us (wmv - 6.09 MB)
• 5 sec TV Ad - Hand washing on the Web 1 (wmv - 398 KB)
• 5 sec TV Ad - Hand washing on the Web 2 (wmv - 405 KB)
• 5 sec TV Ad - Hand washing on the Web 3 (wmv - 398 KB)
• 5 sec TV Ad - Hand washing on the Web 4 (wmv - 405 KB)
• 30 sec Radio Ad - Wash Your Hands (mp3 - 473 KB)
• 30 sec Radio Ad - Cold & Flu Season (mp3 - 458 KB)

• Mayo Clinic Article: A simple way to prevent infection
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety Information on Hand Washing
• CDC Clean Hands Save Lives!
• American Society for Microbiology

• Henry the Hand - Champion Hand Washer
• CDC Website for Kids

• Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings – 2002
• Materials to Promote Hand Hygiene in your Healthcare Facility Hand Hygiene After a Disaster, CDC
• Hand Hygiene Guidelines Fact Sheet
• Hand Hygiene Resource Presentation for Health Care Providers
• Infection Control Guidelines: Hand Washing, Cleaning, Disinfection and Sterilization in Health Care. Health Canada, Dec. 1998

• Hand Washing Citations PDF
• Effect of handwashing on child health: a randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, July 16, 2005
• Combining drinking water treatment and hand washing for diarrhea prevention, a cluster randomised controlled trial. JAMA, June 2, 2004
• Effect of antibacterial home cleaning and handwashing products on infectious disease symptoms: a randomized, double-blind trial. Annals of Internal Medicine , March 2, 2004
• Influence of two handwashing frequencies on reduction in colonizing flora with three handwashing products used by health care personnel. American Journal of Infection Control, April 17, 1989

• Hand Washing First Focus of Campaign: College Launches Public Awareness Campaign
• College's Successful Hand Washing Campaign Expands SECOND PHASE: Province Wide TV Public Service Announcements