Which of the following practices is related to ensuring medical asepsis?

Washing hands with soap and water before procedures is a fundamental practice associated with maintaining medical asepsis. Medical asepsis aims to reduce the number and transmission of pathogens to prevent infections. Proper hand hygiene is one of the most effective ways to achieve this goal, as it helps remove dirt, bacteria, and viruses from the skin before any medical procedure. This practice significantly decreases the risk of cross-contamination and pathogen transmission between healthcare providers and patients.

While other options contribute to an overall infection control strategy, they do not specifically emphasize the critical role of hand hygiene in medical asepsis. For instance, using gloves for hand hygiene, while important, does not replace the need for handwashing; gloves can also become contaminated. Wearing masks at all times is essential in certain situations but does not encompass the broader aspects of medical asepsis. Cleaning floors daily is a part of maintaining a clean environment, but it is not directly related to the act of preventing infection at the point of care like handwashing is.