Washing hands is one of the most common habits that is just impossible to ignore. We all clean our hands every now and then. But when it comes to proper hand washing, majority of us do it the wrong way.
If Ignaz Semmelweis were alive, he would have been quite disappointed with the way people have taken hand washing for granted. After all, “Wash your hands” is quite an easy advice to prevent the spread of infection. One just needs to put a coin-sized drop of Dettol handwash and use fresh water to clean their hands. Yes, it’s as easy as it sounds!
Role of Proper Hand Washing
People often put handwashing on the backseat when it comes to taking care of their health and preventing diseases. This is the reason why hundreds of people suffer from diseases like diarrhea. The numbers are startling, especially in case of children – millions of them are facing fatal results due to Pneumonia, diarrhea, and other acute respiratory illnesses. However, if people follow the technique of hand washing correctly, they can effectively prevent themselves and others from getting infected with germs and bacteria. Here are some stats that show how proper hand washing with Dettol handwash can promote a healthy lifestyle:
- Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 23-40%
- Decreases diarrheal illness in people by 58%
- Lessens respiratory illnesses, like cold, in the general population by 16-21%
- Reduces absenteeism due to gastrointestinal illness in school children by 29-57%
Hand Washing Steps to Follow
To protect yourself from various illness, follow these 5 hand washing steps and stay healthy:
- Step 1:
Begin singing “Happy Birthday” song. Wet your hands with running water and apply soap. In case, you are using Dettol hand wash, use coin-sized drop to cover the hand.
- Step 2:
Lather by rubbing your palms together. Thoroughly rub all the surfaces of hands – be it your fingers, back of hand, or the finger tips.
- Step 3:
Continue rubbing your hands together while singing “Happy Birthday” twice in your head.
- Step 4:
Remove any residual of the soap by thoroughly rinsing hands under running water.
- Step 5:
Dry your hands using a clean towel or tissue to get the best results.
Wet, Lather, Scrub, Rinse, and Dry– all five handwashing steps can be summed up in these 5 words. Keep them in mind and also teach it to others to follow the correct hand washing steps.
Nowadays, you can also go for Dettol hand sanitizer which is a good substitute to clean the hands when water is not available. Just apply Dettol hand sanitizer on your palm and rub it thoroughly until the hands are dry.
When to Wash
Just washing the hands right way is not enough. You also need to be aware of when to wash them. On a daily basis, people should wash their hands seven times, and this is also referred to as ‘lucky seven’. However, the frequency in which you may need to wash your hands will largely depend on your routine.
Here are some situations when washing hands is essential:
- Before and after handling or preparing food
- After changing diapers
- Before and after eating food
- After using the washroom
- After sneezing or blowing your nose
- After touching an animal or animal waste
- After handling garbage
- Before and after treating wounds
- Before and after touching a sick or injured person
- Before and after using contact lenses
The Bottom Line
No doubt you’d love to pick handwashing if given a choice between a week of suffering from common flu and 30 seconds of washing hands. And, when the choice is so obvious, begin taking care of your hand hygiene from today onwards. Healthy hand washing!
ADVT
