Good hand habits to stay safer from flu and germs this winter

Here at the Friendlies we have not shied away from good hand hygiene practices.  Doorknobs, the button on the photocopy machine, the kettle, microwave door, refrigerator door handles, PC keyboards – they are all places with high hand traffic and therefore the potential to spread viruses and bacteria across our workplace.

Washing your hands frequently can stop the spread of germs and viruses.  For hand hygiene to be effective it needs to be consistent and thorough. Here are three hand habits to prevent you from getting sick and spreading germs:

 1. Frequently wash your hands – including before, during and after preparing food; before changing contact lenses; before and after caring for someone who is sick; after you have blown your nose, coughed or sneezed; before treating wounds; after changing nappies or assisting a child who has used the toilet; after touching pets or picking up their waste.

 2. Wash them the correct way – Especially when it comes to children, it can be hard to explain to them about germs when they can’t see them. To get the idea across, put glitter on your child’s hands and then get them to wash their hands with just water and after that with water and soap. You can also put some glitter on your hand and then touch your child to show how germs are spread.

Some steps to ensure the correct way to wash your hands:

a. Wet your hands with clean running water.

b. Apply enough soap to cover your hands. Rub your palms together and then your palms over each other with your fingers interlaced, cleaning under your nails, the backs of your fingers and your thumbs. For children. Simply singing the ‘happy birthday’ song twice should do the trick.

c. Rinse your hands with clean running water.

d. Dry your hands using a clean towel, a single use paper towel or air dryer.