Taking care of hand hygiene is the first step to stay healthy. It helps to avoid getting sick due to spreading germs. Hygiene and sanitation help us in developing good living habits. These habits are beneficial for our health. We need to keep our homes, our surroundings, our city clean. It all begins with personal hygiene.
Self hygiene
Personal hygiene is essential for good health. Washing your hands is the first step to it. Most of the infections make way in our body through our hands only. From morning till evening our hands come in contact with a lot of things. We touch doors, knobs, buttons, faucets, washroom, brush, cups, mugs, utensils, drawers, car, bike, currency notes, coins, items kept in racks of malls, cutlery, accelerator, stairs, public places and a lot of similar things. Just think how many things you touch in one whole day. We are exposed to a lot of infections, in-house as well as outside.
Washing hands should be a continuous habit to stay away from infections. Germs are everywhere but you can’t see them. Keeping hands clean is the first step we can take to avoid getting sick.
When to wash hands
- After using a dishcloth or cleaning mop.
- After bringing vegetables and fruits from the market.
- Before, during and after cooking.
- When kids come back after playing.
- After playing with pets.
- After handling animals and animal waste.
- After using the toilets.
- After changing diapers.
- After handling wounds.
- After handling and touching dirty laundry.
- After dusting, broom and mopping the house.
- After sneezing and coughing.
- After touching insecticide sprays.
- After emptying or cleaning bins.
- After using public toilets.
- After handling currency notes and coins.
- After touching doors, chairs, tables, knobs, switches in restaurants, malls etc.
- After visiting hospitals, clinic.
- After attending sick members.
- After visiting a gym or sports club
- After using a swimming pool
Don’t underestimate or ignore this simple habit of washing hands. Kids generally skip this basic habit, it’s our duty to explain the importance of washing hands.
There is a popular English Nursery Rhyme on Wash Your Hands too. To wash our hands we should –
- use soap and water
- use liquid soaps
- use hand sanitizer
Hands should be scrubbed and rinsed properly using soap and water. Good hand hygiene is in our own hands.
Precaution is better than cure is a well known saying and washing our hands is one such precaution which can lead to better health and hygiene.
