15 Things the CDC Says You Shouldn't Be Touching With Unwashed Hands

Hand hygiene is an important factor is preventing the spread of the coronavirus. After all, research shows that the coronavirus can enter through your mouth, nose, and eyes—all commonly touched body parts. And if you're touching those parts with unwashed hands that are unknowingly covered in viral particles, you can easily infect yourself. That's why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued plenty of coronavirus guidance about when you need to be washing your hands. Here are 15 things the CDC says you shouldn't touch with unwashed hands. And for more advice from the CDC, check out these 23 Cleaning Tips From the CDC You Need to Follow.

The CDC recommends that you wash your hands before entering most public spaces, especially if you have to touch public door handles. This includes restaurant door handles, store handles, and workplace door handles. And for more CDC tips, check out these 7 Things the CDC Says You Need to Have to Avoid Coronavirus.

If you're preparing your own food at home, you should be washing your hands before, especially if you just returned home from a trip to the grocery store. The CDC says "before preparing or eating food, it is important to always wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds."

If you're hosting or attending a gathering with food, the CDC encourages all guests and hosts to "wash their hands before serving or eating food." This can help prevent the virus from spreading when hanging out with other people.

The CDC considers garbage can lids high-touch surfaces. They actually recommend using touchless garbage cans, but if that is not available, they encourage the use of gloves when handling trash, and then immediately washing your hands afterwards. And for more coronavirus guidance, discover Dr. Fauci's Top 10 Tips to Keep You Safe From COVID-19.

Any materials you get from the library are considered "shared items," according to the CDC. And since you cannot be certain how clean they are or if they were disinfected after being returned, the CDC says you should wash your hands before handling any of these items.

While the CDC recommends using online banking during the pandemic, that's not always feasible. Alternately, you should wash your hands before visiting the ATM. If you can't wash your hands, use a hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.

If you're arriving to use a public pool, the CDC says you should be doing so with freshly washed hands. You should also wash your hands, or use hand sanitizer, before eating or drinking anything when using a public pool.

Nail salon workers have to touch your hands to perform their services, but you need to make sure you're not subjecting them to the coronavirus. The CDC says you should wash your hands immediately before receiving service at a nail salon. And for more tips on going to the nail salon, This Is Exactly What You Should Do at a Nail Salon, According to the CDC.

Whether you're taking the bus, train, ride share, or even using shared public bikes, the CDC encourages you to practice good hand hygiene before. That means washing your hands thoroughly before leaving to take any of those modes of transportation. And for more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Elevator buttons are also considered high-touch surfaces. The CDC actually recommends you avoid touching them at all—but if you must, it's best to do so with freshly washed hands. And you should also wash your hands afterwards, of course.

If you're out running errands, you can have the coronavirus on your hands without knowing. And if you're opening up your car door with unwashed hands, you're just allowing the virus to spread. The CDC says to only touch car doors with washed hands, or to use hand sanitizer before touching the door if you can't wash your hands.

The CDC has a plethora of coronavirus laundry tips you can use to help prevent the spread of COVID through clothing. But whether you're cleaning clothes for someone who is sick or just cleaning clothes you've worn outside, you should be doing the laundry with washed hands.

If you're caring for someone sick with the coronavirus, the best protection would be to wear gloves, according to the CDC. But if you don't have gloves, you need to come prepared with washed hands, and then wash them again after.

The CDC doesn't recommend the use of gloves in many situations, except when you're taking care of someone sick with COVID or doing laundry. If you take those gloves off, they should be disposed of immediately and not touched later on with unwashed hands.

The CDC says you should always "wash your hands before putting on your mask." And if you need to adjust your mask, don't do it with unwashed hands, either.