The current health crisis has made everyone realize the importance of maintaining personal hygiene. Hand-washing is an easy way to prevent infection, especially during this unprecedented time.  Understanding when to wash your hands, how to properly use hand sanitizer and how to get your children into the habit could be the biggest preventive measure you can take

Frequent hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting infected and spreading illness. Hand-washing requires only soap and water preferably a disinfectant soap.

As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate infectious agents on your hands. In turn, you can infect yourself with these, by touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Although it’s impossible to keep your hands germ-free, washing your hands frequently can help limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes. Covid-19 is a respiratory virus and hence it is important to make sure your hands stay clean as they are the part of the body that touches your face all the time.

Always wash your hands before:

• Preparing food or eating
• Giving medicine to family members, or caring for a sick or injured person
• inserting or removing contact lenses

Always wash your hands after:       

Using public spaces and articles like door handles, taxis, ATM and lift buttons.

• Preparing food, especially raw meat or poultry
• Using the toilet or changing a diaper
• Touching an animal or animal toys, leashes or waste
• Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing into your hands
• Treating wounds or caring for a sick or injured person
• Handling garbage, household or garden chemicals, or anything that could be contaminated — such as a cleaning cloth or soiled shoes.
• Shaking hands with others should be avoided but if you do then sanitize and clean with soap and water after that.

How to wash your hands:

• Wet your hands with running water — either warm or cold.
• Apply liquid, bar or powder soap.
• Lather well.
• Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Remember to scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Rinse well.
• Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel or air dryer.
• If possible, use a towel or your elbow to turn off the faucet.

Antibacterial soaps, such as those containing triclosan, are no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap.