Protect yourself with proper Hand Hygiene – The Do’s and Don’ts

When you touch any surfaces, people, and objects throughout the day, you can easily accumulate germs on your hands. Do you know that you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, or even spread them to others you meet? Although it is absolutely impossible to keep your hands free from germs, washing your hands frequently keeping in mind the hand hygiene tips can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes and keep you safe from unwanted infections. We have listed a few Do’s and Don’ts while protecting yourself with proper hand hygiene:

• Do – Use the right hand-wash
  To fully prepare yourself for complete hygiene, use a hand wash that will keep hands free of germs with added extracts and ingredients that won’t leave them feeling dry and sapped with moisture.
• Do – Always wash your hands before coming in contact with food, removing contact lenses, or treating wounds
  This will prevent the unnecessary spread of infection by stopping it at the hands from spreading any further.
• Do – Carry hand sanitizer while going out
  When you do not have immediate access to a sink or soap, a hand sanitizer will ensure safe and clean hands which won’t unknowingly touch the mouth, eyes, or nose.
• Do – Cover your nose/mouth while you sneeze or cough
  Instead of directly sneezing or coughing on the palm of your hands, immediately cover your nose/mouth with a handkerchief. This way it reduces the chances of spreading infections effectively.
• Do – Clean all parts of hands while washing
  Cover all surfaces of the hands, including the front and back, the wrists, between fingers and under fingernails and not just palms to avoid infections.
• Don’t – Rush through the hand washing process
  Take your time and rub the mild soap on your hands for at least 20 seconds rather than speeding through the process as might not kill all the germs. The soap and the friction created by rubbing loosen and remove the dirt and germs very well.
• Don’t – Wash your hands only with water
  Using soaps or hand detergents along with water is necessary while maintaining good hand hygiene.
• Don’t – Touch your face (eyes, mouth, nose) too often
  When you touch your face frequently, it can easily spread viruses from your face to your hands and vice versa. So, avoid unnecessarily touching your face.
• Don’t – Use hot water to wash hands
  Hot water has not been proven to remove more germs and tends to promote drying of the skin, making it more susceptible to bacteria.

Over to you:

Frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting more prone to infections and spreading illness. Follow the above-mentioned Do’s and Don’ts while maintaining proper hand hygiene. Well, next time you have finger-licking foods, keep these points in mind for your safety purposes.