Infection prevention starts with clean hands
Hand hygiene is one of the most important practices available to reduce the spread of infectious agents in the healthcare setting. It is a critical component of Standard Precautions that includes both hand washing with plain or antiseptic-containing soap and water, and/or the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizing products (gels, rinses, foams) that do not require use of water. In the absence of visible soiling of hands, approved alcohol-based products for hand disinfection are preferred over antimicrobial or plain soap and water because of their superior microbiocidal
activity, reduced drying of the skin and convenience.