hand wash

plural hand washes · alternative hand-wash

1. countableAn instance of washing one’s hands.

   Davis (11) compared hand exposures of apple thinners using gloves and hand washes. He found that hand exposures obtained by rinsing were significantly lower than those obtained by using either cotton or nylon gloves.

   1985, Claire A. Franklin, “Occupational Exposure to Pesticides and Its Role in Risk Assessment Procedures Used in Canada”, in Richard C. Honeycutt, Gunter Zweig, Nancy N. Ragsdale, editors, Dermal Exposure Related to Pesticide Use: Discussion of Risk Assessment (ACS Symposium Series; 273), Washington, D.C.: American Chemical Society, →ISBN, page 433

   5 more examples

   He had intrusive thoughts about people suffering from diseases which he was personally responsible for spreading. At first, several hand washes were enough to reduce his anxiety; however, he began to feel that simply washing his hands was not enough.

   1992, Frank Tallis, “The Development of Obsessions and Compulsions, and How to Assess Your Symptoms”, in Understanding Obsessions and Compulsions: A Self-Help Manual (Overcoming Common Problems), London: Sheldon Press, →ISBN, page 30

   If performed with a suitable antiseptic, the surgical hand rub is very efficient in reducing the skin flora and hands need not be dried afterward. It lacks, however, the cleaning function provided by a surgical hand wash. […] Surgical hand rubs are performed by pouring small volumes of a suitable antiseptic, usually an alcohol preparation, into the cupped dry hands, rubbing it onto the entire surface of hands and forearms, keeping them wet for the scheduled time by adding further portions as necessary, and carrying out wash movements. […] Surgical hand washes are performed with antiseptic detergents according to the instructions of the manufacturer. Drying hands with sterile towels or drapes is usually necessary before donning surgical gloves.

   1996, Manfred L. Rotter, “Hand Washing and Hand Disinfection”, in C. Glen Mayhall, editor, Hospital Epidemiology and Infection Control, Baltimore, Md.: Williams & Wilkins, →ISBN, section XIV (Organization and Implementation of Infection Control Programs), page 1059, column 2

   Hand washing for 15 to 30 seconds using ordinary soap and water will remove transient bacteria from the hands due to the mechanical action of the friction while rubbing and scrubbing during the wash. Hand washes are frequently required before entering an intensive care unit (ICU) or operating suite.

   2008, Frank M. Pierson, Sheryl L. Fairchild, “[Approaches to Infection Control] Hand Hygiene”, in Principles & Techniques of Patient Care, 4th edition, St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders, →ISBN, page 33, column 2

   Cooper et al. [20] found that even small increases in the frequency of effective hand washes were enough to bring endemic nosocomial infective organisms under control in a computer model. Raboud et al. [21], using a Monte-Carlo simulation, determined factors that would reduce transmission of nosocomial infection. The factors that were relevant included reducing the nursing patient load from 4.3 (day) and 6.8 (night) to 3.8 (day) and 5.7 (night), increasing the hand washing rates for visitors, and screening patients for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) upon admission.

   2009, Judith A. Challis, “Sterilization; Disinfection, and Antisepsis”, in Emanuel Goldman, Lorrence H. Green, editors, Practical Handbook of Microbiology, 2nd edition, Boca Raton, Fla.: CRC Press, →ISBN, part I (Practical Information and Procedures for Bacteriology), page 8

   Sneddon’s (1990) study demonstrated that Gram-negative organisms were isolated from 44% of nurses’ hands before washing and from 12% after washing; 40% of hands sampled after dirty activity and 25% after clean activity were contaminated. Only 52% of the hand washes were considered good. Pittet et al (1999) reported that hand hygiene decreased with higher workload and higher-risk patients. Increasing hand hygiene frequency and effective procedure among hospital staff has been associated with a decrease in hospital-acquired infection (Pittet et al 2000).

   2010, Helen Cheney, “Control of infection”, in Ethel Trigg, Toby Aslam Mohammed, editors, Practices in Children’s Nursing: Guidelines for Hospital and Community, 3rd edition, Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, →ISBN, section 1 (Introductory topics), page 46, column 2

   Synonyms: handwashing

2. countableAn instance of washing something by hand.

   FIG. 2. Results of giving a hand wash to worsted fabric.

   1961 September, Edwin G. Sutcliffe, “Now a Permanent Flat-Press for Worsted!”, in Textile Industries, Atlanta, Ga.: W. R. C. Smith Publishing Co., page 109, column 3

   3 more examples

   See the Westinghouse washer with exclusive hand-wash action at your Westinghouse dealer. You’ll never do a hand wash again.

   1969 October 14, Westinghouse, “The end of hand washing”, in The Lincoln Star, 68th year, number 11, Lincoln, Neb., page 7

   Hand wash. Nothing could be simpler, right? Wrong. There are dozens of ways to do a hand wash—and even the experts don’t agree on all points.

   1986, Robert Appel, “When Shopping for Service”, in The Car Owner’s Survival Guide, New York, N.Y.: Fawcett Columbine, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 112

   Cooking and laundry facilities for doing hand washes are available.

   1999 July, Eric Hamovitch, “Rapa Nui (Easter Island)”, in Chile, Montreal, Que.: Ulysses Travel Publications, →ISBN, page 312, column 2

3. alternativecountableuncountableAlternative form of handwash (“liquid soap”).

   If disinfectant hand washes are used remember they are inactivated by soap.

   1992, Leo Palladino, June Hunt, “Guidelines to Hygienic Manicuring”, in The Nail File, Basingstoke, Hants.: Macmillan Education Ltd, →ISBN, part two (Fact File), page 118

   1 more example

   The ornate four-poster bed is made up in lacy fabric, there are towels in the bathroom, along with full bottles of hand wash and body lotion.

   2011, Kate Harrison, “Grazia”, in The Secret Shopper Affair, London: Orion Books, →ISBN, page 132

present singular third person hand washes · participle present hand washing · participle past hand washed · past hand washed · alternative hand-wash · alternative handwash

1. transitiveTo wash by hand.

   hand wash only; tumble dry low

   1 more example

   When management of the toney Copley Plaza Hotel ordered housekeepers recently to put down their mops and hand wash the floors, a furor arose among the hotel cleaning staff. Local union representatives and others concerned with issues affecting women workers also rallied in anger to protest the directive, which in essence forced housekeepers to scrub on their hands and knees.

   1987 December 13, Elizabeth Pincus, “Copping To The Mop Scandal”, in Gay Community News, volume 15, number 22, page 1