Have you washed your hands yet? – we hear as children, we ask as adults. This is a sentence that is inevitably ingrained in us. We wash our hands when we get home, before we eat, after we’ve been to the bathroom. On the occasion of World Handwashing Day, Lucart has collected some interesting facts about handwashing. Test yourself: novelty or repetition?
On the initiative of UNICEF, October 15 is World Handwashing Day. Since 2008, the purpose of the day has been to draw attention to the importance of proper hand washing and basic hygiene conditions.
Even small children are taught how to wash their hands in kindergarten, and since the coronavirus, proper hand washing has received special attention both in the media and in public discourse. We wash our hands when we get home, before we eat, after we’ve been to the bathroom – it’s natural, we can’t even graduate from kindergarten without learning this habit. But do we always do it right, shouldn’t our attention be more and all-encompassing? The Italian paper industry company, Lucart, which has a factory in Nyergesújfalu in our country, has collected 5+1 tips for correct hand cleaning:
- What is the ideal water temperature?
The water should not be too hot or too cold. The former does not have a good effect on the skin, the latter is less effective. The water should be lukewarm, the ideal temperature is 25-40°C. At such a temperature, the water already copes with pathogens, without exposing our skin to unnecessary heat.
- How long should it last?
For handwashing to be really effective, you need to rub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- What should the soap be like?
We probably won’t touch it with plain soap. You can also use antibacterial soap, which is usually effective, but may not be the best choice in all cases, as some bacteria can become resistant to it.
- Many people skip these areas.
We already know in what kind of water and for how long we should wash our hands, but it is also important not to miss a single area. Research shows that we forget about the fingertips and the back of the hand, and the thumb is also left out for many people.
- Plus sources of danger.
We might not think so, but a menu can also be a potential source of danger, not to mention our phone. In fact, even a desk can be teeming with germs without us noticing them. So, we can safely add our desk and keyboard to the list of disinfecting cleaning, along with doorknobs and telephones, and we can safely wash our hands at home, even for no apparent reason.
+ 1 tip regarding public toilets
If possible, choose disposable paper towels when drying your hands, because it is much safer than a hand drying machine. Based on a study conducted by EUROFINS/INLAB 2012, hand dryers can release 2.5 times more bacteria into the air than using paper towels. Dry your fingers and palms thoroughly, then close the tap with a paper towel and open the door with paper. Each of the Lucart soap dispensers in public washrooms contains a hermetically protected hypoallergenic product for maximum hygiene.
Source: www.patikamagazin.hu
