Washing hands with soap is an affordable and effective way to stay healthy. October 15 is being celebrated as the Global Handwashing Day since 2008, but COVID 19 pandemic has made everyone take this day rather seriously. Although vaccines have been made to protect from a severe illness in COVID 19, hand washing is your first line of defense.
Do you know that good hand hygiene can significantly bring down the cases of diarrhea by 30 percent and respiratory diseases by 20 percent? Brands like Dettol Handwash offer up to 99.99 percent protection from germs. So, washing hands is always better to protect yourself from many diseases.
Let’s delve deeper into how and why Dettol handwash liquid and other handwash are so effective and recommended by doctors?
A virus is made up of a genetic material that is wrapped in a fatty coat. The molecules of the soap have the ability to break this lipid membrane. When soap molecules envelop the virus, it washes away on rinsing the hands. Also, when you scrub your hands, it can also help remove the virus. But, you need to ensure that you apply the soap thoroughly to get rid of the virus.
Should You Prefer a Soap or Sanitiser?
With COVID 19 pandemic, there has been a surge in the sale of sanitisers, and people prefer them over soap. However, many don’t know that a sanitiser might not be as effective as soap and water because the virus is not rinsed away while applying the sanitiser. Also, sanitiser has high ethanol content, which can be harmful to the skin.
Spreading Awareness About Handwash with Soap and Water
Although washing hands with soap is basic hygiene, there’s still a need for public awareness. Do you know that only 1 in 5 people wash their hands after using the toilet?
With such shocking numbers in place, we must emphasise running campaigns that promote hand wash. During COVID 19, governments, as well as famous personalities, came together to create awareness videos. They were seen talking about the importance of washing hands the right way on television ads and on different social media platforms.
But, such campaigns need to be run regularly, given the low level of awareness amongst people.
Communities With No Access to Soap and Water
We believe that we live in a highly developed world, where soap and water are readily available. However, 3 billion people worldwide do not have soap and water at home.
Healthcare and government organizations are working toward providing basic hygiene facilities to these remote communities. Handwashing stations are installed at health care centers, schools, and other public places. These stations have buckets with a solution of chlorine water to ensure people get basic hygiene facilities.
Parting Thoughts
Although efforts are being made to spread awareness about the importance of handwashing, there’s still a long way to go. It is the duty of every individual to ensure they practice handwashing frequently. If we need to change society, we need to start from our home. People have become conscious about washing hands during COVID 19, but they must maintain this habit to save themselves and others from typhoid, pneumonia, cholera, and more diseases.
