Hygienic hand washing, hand disinfection – how to do it and why is it so important?
Regular hand hygiene is a common and effective form of prevention against many diseases. A properly carried out procedure of hand washing and disinfection will provide us with the best possible protection against dangerous bacteria and viruses. This recommendation applies to everyone and is timeless – especially in the current situation of Covid-19. During the prevailing epidemic, the people who often move in public spaces should be extremely caution. Proper hygiene measures reduce the risk of transmitting germs that can remain on the skin by touching different surfaces and items. Going out from home is one of those situations where hand hygiene should be particularly observed.
Step 1 – Frequent and thorough hand washing
Many situations and circumstances throughout the day affect our contact with omnipresent germs. Things and surfaces that we touch are covered with a layer of microorganisms, bacteria and viruses that are invisible to our eyes. Direct relationships with other people, such as shopping, working, greeting and shaking hands, also promote mutual transmission of germs.
By our hands, we carry out pathogens found on different surfaces to the face, mouth and eyes, which we touch, often unconsciously and many times during the day. Through a humid environment of mucous membranes it is very easy to get infected. To avoid potential infection, frequent and proper hand hygiene should be done. The importance of this activity in the context of the ongoing epidemic is crucial. Hand washing is an effective method against SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). To minimize the risk of getting sick, we pay attention to the frequency of hand washing, properties of the washing product, washing time and the precision of movements.
Basic principles of hand washing:
- wash your hands for about 30 seconds
- • start by wetting your hands with water
- • collect enough soap to cover the entire surface of the hand
- • spread the soap thoroughly over the surface by rubbing out your hands
- • remember to clean thoroughly the space between the fingers, the backs of the fingers and around the thumbs
- • finally rinse your hands thoroughly with water and wipe your hands dry with a disposable towel.
HOW TO WASH HANDS EFFECTIVELY?
- Wet your hands with warm water. Apply liquid soap into the palm of your hand.
- Lather both inner surfaces of the palms.
- Rub your fingers and lather them.
- Lather the thumb of one hand with the other hand and repeat the activity with the opposite hand.
- Lather the top of one hand with the inside of the other hand, and repeat the activity with the opposite hand.
- Lather both wrists.
- Rinse your hands thoroughly to remove the soap. Dry them carefully.
Total time: 30 seconds.
Don’t forget to wash these areas:
The source is The website of the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
Step 2 – using antibacterial preparations
Hand cleaning can be carried out by using specialized preparations in the form of a gel or in form of a liquid based on alcohol with an optimal content of about 70%, which guarantees their effective operation. Antibacterial products, which composition is based on tested substances, allow to reduce significantly the amount of microorganisms on the skin. It should be remembered that in the case of prevention against coronavirus infection, these preparations should contain alcohol containing at least 60% ethanol or isopropanol. Gels or lotions are the perfect solution to keep hygiene outside the home when you don’t have access to running water.
It is worth remembering that frequent use of alcohol-based agents can lead to dry skin of the hands and, consequently, cause irritation.
To minimize the risk of unpleasant effects of regular hand hygiene, it is necessary to obtain appropriate, deeply rebuilding hand creams and caring nail conditioners – preferably those that, have both, regenerating and antibacterial properties.
