Chennai: ‘Wash your hands’, ‘sanitise your hands’, and ‘maintain social distance’ are the most commonly heard pieces of advice today.
The past year has put hygiene in the spotlight like never before and brought the focus back on the importance of hand washing and hand hygiene. Hygiene and safety have become the topics of discussion and a worry at the same time.
The situation has also called for a change in habits and increased cleanliness. While most of us resort to handwashing in the traditional soap-and-water method to protect ourselves against contracting germs, sanitising our hands regularly when we cannot wash themis important too.
“To limit our risk of contracting germs, it is important to regularly wash and sanitise our hands. This not only helps kill germs but also stop the spread of any potentialinfection. Therefore, practicing good hand hygiene is a priority for maintainingoverall health and wellness,” says Dr Sushrutha C K, Ayurveda expert, Research & Development, The Himalaya Drug Company.
When to wash hands? We come in contact with innumerable surfaces every day. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom, before eating or touching your face with your hands, and before wearing your mask.
Avoid using hot water, as it can dry out your skin. Instead, wash your hands with lukewarm water. Make sure to clean between fingers, the back of your hands, wrists, and under the nails, which is a likely breeding ground for germs Rinse your hands well and make sure there is no trace of soap left, as this can lead to skin irritation Dry your hands using a clean towel or fresh tissues to prevent exposing your clean hands to any kind of germs in used towels and tissues.