Keeping a good standard of cleanliness and hygiene is extremely important, not only in the midst of a global pandemic, but every day of our lives. Your hands are a major transporter of germs, and are the biggest risk to your health besides being near someone who is sick. We touch our faces all the time, and we also have a habit of touching our eyes, nose, and mouth. These are all the perfect gateways for bacteria and viruses to enter our bodies.
The first step toward staying healthy and well year-round is by keeping your hands clean. Washing for 20 seconds with warm, soapy water is the best way to do so, however if you’re not able to wash with soap and water, a 70% alcohol hand sanitizer does a good job.
You should take particular care after touching commercial garbage, public surfaces, such as a railing on a train bus, a shopping cart or touch screen. It’s also important to wash your hands after using the toilet, feeding a pet, changing a nappy or helping a small child to use the bathroom.
These habits should be maintained regardless of the current situation. Here are 4 reasons why hand cleanliness is important at all times:
1. It Helps to Prevent the Spread of Infectious Diseases
These diseases include gastrointestinal infections (such as Salmonella) and respiratory infections, such as influenza, which can cause serious complications, especially for young children, the elderly, or those with a weakened immune system. Washing your hands properly can help prevent the spread of the germs (like bacteria and viruses) that cause these diseases.
2. It Helps Battle the Rise in Antibiotic Resistance
Hand washing can prevent about 30% of diarrhea-related illnesses and about 20% of respiratory infections. Antibiotics are often prescribed unnecessarily for these health issues, and reducing the number of these infections by washing hands frequently helps prevent the overuse of antibiotics. Hand washing can also prevent people from getting sick with germs that are already resistant to antibiotics and that can be difficult to treat.
3. It Helps Reduce Breakouts and Skin Infections
If your hands are covered in bacteria, and you then touch your face, you’re much more likely to break out in uncomfortable and unsightly pimples. Touching your face with unwashed hands can also cause existing acne to flare up.
4. It Reduces the Risk of Cross Contamination
When handling food, especially raw meat, it’s particularly important to keep a close eye on the cleanliness of your hands. You can easily spread germs to your food or kitchen counter, so regular hand washing while in the kitchen is vital.
5. You Won’t Get Sick as Often!
No one likes being sick, and even a minor winter cold can make living your normal life a struggle. Worse still, if you catch something that could have been prevented simply with a squirt of hand sanitizer, you can pass it around to your children, loved ones, or elderly and vulnerable people with compromised immune systems.
Where Can I Buy Hand Sanitizer?
With us! We have a good stock of hand sanitizer available that will help you keep yourself, your family, friends, and coworkers all safe from the spread of infection. To find out more, click here.
And, if you’re looking for commercial cleaning, we’re here to help. We pride ourselves in being the top (if not only!) tech cleaning company. Cleanup My Shhh… is our version of a cleaning company 2.0. We embrace the latest eco-friendly cleaning technology and chemistry to produce astonishingly clean environments. For us, cleanliness isn’t just a job – it’s a lifestyle. We can be reached via email at LetsChat@cleanupmyshhh.com.