How many of us knew sanitisers existed before the pandemic hit the world? Not many, for sure.
And even if we did, we only saw it as a waste of money, and just another product in the market trying to make its way in our lives for no good reason.
And what about hand washes? While they were here for as long as one can remember, they were always taken for granted.
Cut to 2020. A sudden surge in sanitisers and hand wash buyers. So much so, that the duo started running off shelves at lightning’s speed, and as a result, people started hoarding them.
We realised how important hand hygiene is in our lives. And what took for us to get this realisation was the fear of an invisible, tiny virus, which was, and is, severe enough to snatch away lives.
1. Follow the soap and water rule
While we all, by now, know the importance of using soap, there are still many people who think rinsing hands under a tap does the job. Remember hand hygiene is about making your hands clean both from the outer and inner layer. Soap, here, has an important part to play. Because after all, you don’t want your hands to look clean, but to be clean actually. Hence, whenever you make your next trip to the loo, or are about to touch any eatables, remember to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Hand washing eliminates the risk of several diseases
It is not only COVID-19 that can’t stand soap and water, there are several other disease-causing germs that too can’t. Remember, your health is in your hands. So, if you suffer from diarrhoea, nausea, and vomiting frequently, there’s something extremely wrong with your hand hygiene practices.
3. Do it in the right way
It’s been months since we are seeing those ads teaching us how to wash hands by following the butterfly rule, but still there may be a chunk of people who missed it. Hand washing is not just about rubbing your palms. Make sure to clean the gaps between your fingers, the upper part of your hands, and your nails by rubbing them against your palm. It is important to keep your nails clean too, since they can become a storehouse for bacterias.
4. Overdoing it is not necessary
While maintaining good hand hygiene is the key to maintaining good health, this doesn’t not, at all, means that one has to be in front of the wash basin every now and then. Anything in excess does more harm than good. Do maintain good hand hygiene, but don’t do it too much, especially if you are using hand sanitisers, otherwise you may become a victim of skin diseases.
