Master your handwashing technique to keep COVID-19 at bay with our top tips…
It’s never been more important than now to keep your hands clean to help stop the spread of the virus. We’ve all been scrubbing, soaping, and sanitising many times a day for over a year now, but the fatigue is setting in. If we’re honest, we’re probably not washing up as often or as thoroughly as we should be so let’s hit the reset button and go back to basics this World Hand Hygiene Day (May 5) …
Here Comes The Science Bit….
Handwashing is one of our best defences against catching and spreading the virus. If you have the virus on your hands, you can infect yourself by touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. Likewise, you can also spread it by touching other objects or people.
Do It Right
We all know how to wash our hands but how many of us are actually doing it the right way? Is your style rinse, wipe and go? Or are you a stickler for scrubbing and lathering? Take a look at the NHS video below to work out if you’re a handwashing hero.
Sing It Out
So, we all know we’re supposed to wash our hands for the same time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice (that’s around 20 seconds, FYI). If you’re thoroughly sick of this song (let’s face it – most of us are), swap it out for something funny or put a twist on a pop song. Why not try changing up the lyrics of these songs:
- Shake It Off, Taylor Swift
Change it to Scrub It Off and channel your inner T-Swift while you scrub those fingers.
- We Will Rock You, Queen
Scrub to the rhythm and clap your soapy hands as you blast out “We will, we will, WASH you!”. Freddie would be proud.
- Good As Hell, Lizzo
Altogether now:
“I do my hair toss,
Check my nails.
Baby how you feelin’?
Feelin’ CLEAN as hell!”
And repeat x 4. Smashed it!
When Should I Wash My Hands?
Cleaning your hands regularly helps to stop the spread of regular germs as well as COVID-19. We all know we need to wash our hands after using the bathroom and before eating, but here are a few more examples of when we should break out the soap and lather up:
- Before, during and after preparing food – especially with raw meat! You don’t want to end up with a dodgy tummy or a bad case of food poisoning.
- After touching an animal or cleaning up its mess.
- After touching rubbish or dirty surfaces.
- After touching a person who has has been vomiting or has diarrhoea.
Back To Basics
Got your handwashing tune in mind? Watched the NHS video? Grab your soap, turn on the tap and let’s get to it!
- WET your hands and turn off the tap.
- LATHER your hands by rubbing them together. Get in-between the fingers, under the nails, and don’t forget the backs of your hands!
- SCRUB them for at least 20 seconds.
- RINSE under clean, running water.
- DRY with a clean towel, paper towel or air dryer. Simples.
Keep doing it the right way to help stop the spread and to keep yourself safe from germs and catching the virus. You’ve got this, you handwashing hero, you!
