Squeaky Clean

Washing hands before checking blood glucose is an important way to get it right.

In user guides and how-to videos, blood glucose meter companies detail every step they want you to take when you check your blood glucose level. Yet study after study has shown that most people skip one or more of the steps.

Maybe you think the steps can’t all be important. Maybe you’ve heard different advice elsewhere. Or maybe you need some evidence of their value in achieving accurate results. Here, we’ll examine the most basic step – washing your hands, which may seem trivial or open to interpretation.

For those of you in a hurry, see the tips below for what’s best, according to research.

TO WASH OR NOT

Do you need to wash your hands before you check your blood glucose? Or is a quick wipe on your jeans good enough? In a recent study published in Diabetes Care, 123 people had their blood glucose levels checked by fingerstick and handheld meter 1) on unwashed hands 2) after washing their hands with soap and water, drying them and then handling fruit and 3) after handling fruit and then washing and drying their hands again.