How should you turn off the taps after washing your hands?

To maintain hand hygiene and prevent recontamination after washing your hands, it is important to turn off the taps in a safe manner. Using a paper towel to turn off the taps is the best option because it allows you to use a barrier between your clean hands and the potentially contaminated taps. This method helps to reduce the risk of transferring germs that may be present on the tap handle back onto your hands after washing.

Using your bare hands to turn off the taps reintroduces germs from the tap onto your freshly washed hands, which defeats the purpose of handwashing. Kicking the tap may not only be unhygienic but could also pose a safety risk and is usually not a practical or hygienic approach. Utilizing a tissue might seem like a reasonable alternative, but paper towels are generally sturdier and specifically designed for this purpose. Overall, employing a paper towel is an effective practice for maintaining hygiene after hand washing.