If hands touch sinks at any time during this process, they are considered contaminated, and you must start the process over. Turn on the warm water. Allow water to wet hands and wrists thoroughly. Remember to keep hands and forearms lower than your elbows, so cross-contamination from water running back does not occur.
Your hands and forearms should be lower than your elbows when performing hand hygiene routine. What should you do if your hands touch the sink while you are washing your hands? It is important to remove all the soap from your wrists and hands; keeping your hands up and your elbows down to rinse away the microorganisms.
Wash your Hands
You want to use soap and water and scrub for at least 20 seconds. It's always a good idea to wash your hands in a sink that's not also used for dishes. Keeping the germs off your hands is a great start to keeping them out of your kitchen.
Stand in front of the sink, keeping the hands and clothing away from the sink surfaces. Rationale: Sink surfaces may be contaminated; contact with surfaces may transfer contaminates to the skin or clothing. If the hands touch the sink during handwashing, repeat handwashing.
Will touching the wet faucet really ruin everything? Yes. The faucet may have the same germs you started with! Use a tissue or paper towel to turn it off once your hands are clean.
Not washing hands after toilet use opens yourself up to the possibility of contracting hepatitis A. This illness is widely spread by the lack of hand washing and then the handling of food. Symptoms usually don't show until three to four weeks after exposure.
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
Handwashing sinks must have warm water, soap, paper towels or an air dryer, and a sign reminding employees to wash their hands. If the handwashing station offers paper towels, there should also be a garbage can to dispose of them. Let your manager know if a handwashing sink is ever out of supplies.
Don't forget the backs of your hands, your wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails. If possible, remove rings and watches before you wash your hands, or ensure you move the rings to wash under them, as microorganisms can exist. Rinse well under running water and make sure all traces of soap are removed.
To avoid contaminating recently cleaned hands in commercial kitchens without touchless hand sinks, foodservice employees can use a clean paper towel to turn the faucet off and open the door.
Theoretically, you could get an infection if a pathogen is on the material and enters your body through a cut on your skin, but that's generally pretty unlikely. Using your hands will get your body clean (as long as you wash them first) and is a good option for people who have sensitive skin, according to the AAD.
When food workers use the restroom, they should always wash their hands in the restroom sink and then wash them again at a hand washing sink before continuing their duties. This practice is called double handwashing.
You may even think it's healthier and safer not to use a dirty sink after going to the toilet rather than washing your hands. According to experts, however, you should always wash your hands after using the toilet, no matter the grottiness of the sink and taps.
Food handlers are not allowed to use sinks that are dedicated to preparing foods, nor sinks used for janitorial operations. Similarly, handwashing tools such as brushes, soaps, and other utilities cannot be used for other areas of the kitchen.
Wet your hands with clean, running water — either warm or cold. Apply soap and lather well. Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.