Blog # 17

Proper hands washing techniques and hands hygiene is a very important educational need for the psychiatric and mental ill population, especially as they plan to move to a more independent living housing. I teach my clients how to proper foods handling, storage and cooking to avoid contamination and food poisoning. Hand-washing is still the best way to prevent colds and other respiratory and infectious diseases that are transmitted by hand to mouth or hand to nose/eye contact. Soap acts as a vehicle to trap the germs (i.e. viruses, bacteria) that are loosened by the act of rubbing your hands together under water. These germs can then be rinsed away by the water. Contact with other people throughout the day, touching contaminated surfaces, and even petting animals can cause a variety of cold-causing germs to accumulate on your hands. Then by touching your eyes, nose, and mouth you can infect yourself if you don't wash your hands often enough. Touching someone else or touching a doorknob or other surface can then spread cold germs to others. Never allow bare hands to come in contact with food that will not be cooked. Use clean sanitized utensils, deli paper, disposable gloves. Keep all foods covered or otherwise protected from outside contamination. Keep all food service equipment, utensils, and paper goods similarly protected from outside contamination. Never store raw foods, especially poultry and meats above raw or uncooked foods, or sanitized equipment, or in a manner that will contaminate other foods. Packaged food is not to be stored in contact with water or undrained ice. Use a mechanical refrigerator or dry ice. Wrapped sandwiches are not to be stored in direct contact with ice. Therefore, proper hands hygiene is the most effective way to control food contamination.