Hygiene For Disease Prevention

As the whole world begins to adjust to a new sense of normal amid the coronavirus pandemic, the importance of good personal hygiene has never been more apparent.

Today we are going to discuss some simple ways that you can help to keep yourself safe from germs!

Handwashing

Washing your hands properly is one of the very best things you can do to help protect yourself against germs.

Not only does washing your hands frequently help to keep you safe from germs, but is will also minimize your risk of passing these germs to other people. 

If you touch something that has harmful bacteria present, and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, then you could be at a particularly heightened risk of developing an infection.

Preparing food with unwashed hands can encourage the spread of germs, which then enter the body when you eat this food. If you are preparing meals for your entire family, then you aren’t just putting yourself at risk, but everyone who eats your food. 

Coughing and sneezing into our hands is the polite thing to do, but when we don’t wash our hands afterwards, then the spread of germs is encouraged. Try to wash your hands immediately after you have coughed or sneezed into them — even if you used a tissue or similar. 

 

If you are unsure how often and when you should wash your hands, then try to follow this guide!

 

Wash your hands every time you:

• Cook food
• Eat food
• Touch a sick person
• Treat a wound
• Use the toilet
• Help someone else use the toilet
• Cough into your hands
• Sneeze into your hands
• Touch an animal
• Feed an animal
• Touch trash

As the current global health crisis continues, it is also important that you give extra time and attention to washing your hands. Try to wash your hands more regularly than you usually would, and also for longer than you usually would each time. Be sure to use hot water and soap every time you wash your hands, and dry them thoroughly.

Hand Sanitizer

Appropriate use of hand sanitizer is a simple but effective way to keep germs at bay. It is not always possible to wash your hands — especially if you are outside, or travelling somewhere. In these incidents where hand washing is not possible, hand sanitizer is the ext best thing!

Hand sanitizer is made with an alcohol base, which is a very effective way to kill germs. You should always check to see what the percentage of alcohol in your product is, and choose those with more than 60% alcohol for the most effective clean.

It is important to remember that hand sanitizers do not kill all germs, and washing your hands as soon as it becomes possible remains a good idea.

Hand sanitizer is also not as effective against chemicals as soap and hot water is. However, it is a good back-up option, and you should always carry a small bottle with you for situations where it may be needed.

 

When you are using hand sanitizer, you only need to use a very small amount which can be rubbed between your hands. Try to ensure you spread the gel to the backs of your hands as well, and even up past your wrists if you feel this is necessary.

Good Hygiene

Good hygiene is about much more than just keeping your hands clean — although this can go a long way to helping keep diseases at bay.

When you experience poor hygiene, then you put yourself at a heightened risk of a number of ill-health conditions. Additionally, you may find that not taking care of yourself in this way damages your confidence and self-esteem!

Simple good hygiene practices include showering every day, brushing your teeth at least twice a day, and always making sure you are wearing clean clothes. These things do not takle long to include in your routine, and can go a long way to keeping you healthy.

Home Cleaning

Keeping your home clean is a great way to help stop the spread of bad bacteria. If you share your home with a number of other people, then it is likely that you are all bringing germs into house regularly!

Keeping on top of basic cleaning tasks, such as wiping surfaces after use, is always a good idea. It is also very useful to deep clean your house every few months to ensure that germs aren’t building up over time.

 

Using cleaning products in your home can be very helpful for making sure germs are dealt with. There is a wide variety of effective products available for this purpose, so there’s no need for expensive specialist products!

Protect Yourself

Making the extra effort to stay healthy during the global health crisis is important — not just for your own health, but also to help prevent the spread of the virus to others. Good personal hygiene is an effective way to help prevent the spread of the virus, and is something you can encourage the whole family to embrace!