Do you have bad habits when it comes to hand washing?

We focus on hand washing here and it’s a pretty grim conversation topic, but did you know that faecal matter can be found on a quarter of the UK’s populations hands? And that’s forgetting and not counting the other things that faecal matter has been found on; banknotes, credit cards, mobile phones and purses/wallets. Like we said, pretty grim.

And it doesn’t end there – findings from hygiene gurus at Queen Mary, University of London and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine have revealed that roughly 11% of our hands are so “grossly contaminated” that they are in fact carrying as many germs and ‘nasties’ as a dirty toilet bowl. Yuck!

For those people say that they wash their hands after visiting the toilet, these findings offer a different story. Just observe people next time you are in the toilet – how many walk out without washing their hands, or even using a hand sanitizer?

In fact, in a study carried out in a UK motorway service station, 99% of people interview said that they had washed their hands after using the toilet. However, the digital recordings of the washroom sink facilities painted a completely different picture – only 64% of women and 32% of men had actually washed their hands.

So why should we take more of an active interest in washing our hands after using toilets?

Diseases and germs

Hands carry a lot of germs, especially when they haven’t been washed! Every day, our hands come into serious contact with a number of different surfaces; keyboards, door handles, money, light switches, steering wheels, handrails, keys etc.  The list is almost endless. But all of these different surfaces are breeding grounds for all sorts of nasties – which can go on to cause health issues and illnesses. The best way to rid hands of these germs is to wash them at every opportunity.

Little people are watching

Little people are far more observant than you may realize! If you have children or work with children, you might find that they copy your behaviour. If you take your child to the toilet and bypass washing your hands, chances are your child will do the same thing. By educating them about germs and leading by example, you are doing your little bit to help their health in the long-term. And surely that’s worth it?

Hand to mouth action

If you have a number of nasty germs on your hands, think of how many of them will end up in your mouth! It isn’t just after the toilet that you should wash your hands – before preparing any food or drinks, hand hygiene is paramount.

Varieties of soap for hand washing

Whether you prefer to have a floral scent or you are more of an ocean fresh kinda person, you’ll find a soap that fulfils your fragrance likes! What’s better than having clean, nice smelling hands?

Prevention is best!

Let’s face it – while a sick day sounds like fun, especially if you are super busy at work – no one really likes being off sick! Stuck in bed, normal routine affected and the thought of catching up on missed work really doesn’t sell a genuine sick day. By washing your hands properly at regular intervals throughout the day, and after visiting the toilet or other high traffic areas, you are less likely to get sick and therefore need less sick days! Hooray!