It’s easy to assume that everyone inside and outside of the food service industry knows how to wash their hands. However, there’s more to standard handwashing than meets the eye.
How long should you wash your hands? What is the correct order of steps for handwashing? These questions and others are just a few of the many you may like to learn the answers to for safe food service.
Whether you’re getting ready to enroll in the Texas Food Handlers Certificate or you’re curious about appropriate handwashing etiquette, you can find the answers to your burning handwashing questions below:
How Long Should You Wash Your Hands?
According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service, you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. If you want an accurate gauge of how long 20 seconds is, you can sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to yourself while you wash your hands!
The question ‘How long do you wash your hands?’ is an important one to know the answer to as you work toward your Food Handlers certificate in Texas.
What Is the Correct Order of Steps for Handwashing?
There’s more to handwashing than simply putting your hands under water. Practice proper handwashing techniques so you can provide safe food service and keep yourself, your coworkers, and customers safe. You can follow the steps below:
- Wet your hands under running water – it can be warm or cold
- Turn off the tap, apply soap, and lather your hands with the soap, including between your fingers and under your nails
- Wash your hands for 20 seconds
- Rinse your hands under clean running water
- Dry your hands thoroughly with a clean towel
Where Can a Food Worker Wash Her Hands?
When you ask the question, ‘Where are you allowed to wash your hands?’ You might assume the answer is anywhere with running water. However, as you’ll learn in Food Handlers certificate courses through leading providers, that’s not entirely accurate.
Food service workers should wash their hands in dedicated handwashing sinks. These sinks should not be used for other tasks like washing dishes, disposing of mop water, or preparing food. They should also have soap and hand-drying devices or clean towels for handwashing and drying.
When Must a Food Handler Wash Their Hands?
Keep your customers and fellow workers safe by washing your hands at the most important times. You should wash your hands during these crucial moments:
- Before, during, and after meal preparation
- After handling raw meat, eggs, seafood, and poultry
- Before eating
- After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose
- Before and after treating a wound
- After using the bathroom
- After touching garbage
- After handling pet products like food and treats
- Before and after caring for someone sick at home with diarrhea and vomiting
- After cleaning up a child who has used the toilet or had a diaper change
You can learn more about the answers to the question, ‘When should a food handler wash their hands?’ when completing a Food Handler Certificate in Texas.
When Must a Food Handler Change Gloves?
According to Texas Food Establishment Rules, if food workers wear single-service gloves, they should only be used for one task. For example, you might put on single-use gloves to work with ready-to-eat food and replace them after this task is complete. Gloves should be changed when there are changes or interruptions in operation or if they are damaged or soiled.
Learn More Safe Food Handling Practices with TABC Pronto
We all need to know the answers to important questions such as ‘How often should food handlers wash their hands?’ and ‘Where can a food worker wash their hands?’ to keep ourselves and others safe in the food industry.
If you’re about to enter the food industry, learn the answers to these questions and others in TABC Pronto’s Food Handler Certificate in Texas. Our fast, convenient, and 100% online course can provide the peace of mind and confidence you need for safe food handling in Texas dining establishments.
Enroll in our 100% online Texas Food Handlers Card course approved by the Texas State Board of Food Handlers today.