The importance of practicing good hand hygiene routines is something that we are taught from a very young age. Hand hygiene should be practiced thoroughly amongst children and adults alike, as it can be a crucial part of avoiding the transferring of germs from one surface to another.
Even before coronavirus was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 11th March 2020 the key message that was being spread across the globe was that excellent hand hygiene was a vital weapon in the fight against spreading the virus. This message has not changed, but perhaps people have become a little lax in their hand hygiene routines.
What is good hand hygiene?
Washing your hands properly is one of the simplest ways in which you can protect yourself against infections such as coronavirus, flu, and even food poisoning. Good hand hygiene involves more than just rinsing your hands under the cold tap and drying them. It may be helpful to work with a paper towel distributor who may be able to help source the necessary products and facilities to aid good hand hygiene.
If you want to follow the best hand hygiene recommendations, then these are the steps that you should know:
- Wet your hands
- Add sufficient soap to cover your hands – using a pump-action soap dispenser, or better still one that dispenses the soap when you pass your hands underneath it
- Rub your hands together
- Using one hand rub the back of the other hand, making sure that you clean between all your fingers. Now repeat the process with the other hand
- Now rub both your hands together ensuring to rub between your fingers
- Clench your hand up in a fist and rub the backs of your fingers against your palms
- Rub each thumb, in turn, using the other hand
- Holding your hand palm up, rub it with the fingers on the other hand. Repeat with your second hand
- Rinse your hands well under a running tap
- Dry your hands thoroughly using a paper towel, make sure to dry between your fingers as well
- Use the disposable towel to turn the tap off
- Place the disposable towel in the bin
Using soap and water is the best way to wash your hands; however, this is not always possible. If you are out and about or at your desk with no immediate access to a sink, then you can use an alcohol-based hand gel.
Employers should ensure that they have a good supply of soap, hand gel, and paper towels in stock. It is worth finding a good paper towel distributor who can help with this as they often sell many of the products under the same roof.
Get into a routine
In the current climate, it can be a good idea to get into a good routine with hand washing. Wash your hands before you leave home when you enter your place of employment when you leave, and also when you arrive back home. If you have been touching lots of things, for example, if you have been shopping, then don’t forget to wash your hands when you get home. And, on arrival in the supermarket, remember to use the hand gel provided.
Finally, when you are out and about do not forget to keep a small hand gel in your pocket or handbag that you can use when necessary. If you find that all the extra handwashing and using of hand gel is making your hands sore, then you may find it beneficial to put some hand cream on overnight.
