5 Hand Hygiene Facts You Should Never Neglect

Keeping your hands clean by using various hand hygiene methods such as handwashing with soap and water and using hand sanitizing sprays is one of the easiest ways of staying healthy. Since the novel coronavirus started spreading across the world, people are washing their hands and using hand sanitizing sprays now more than ever. 

If you’d like to learn more about keeping your hands clean, we’ve compiled important hand hygiene facts and stats to help you get started. 

Hand Hygiene Fact #1: You can spread infectious disease just by touching!

One of the key things your hands are used for is touching -- your face, mouth, nose, eyes, etc. Hands are also used to pick up items, sip a drink, eat, or just take a look at a paper.

But are you aware that 80% of contagious diseases are transferred by touch? When you touch foods with unhygienic hands, you can spread foodborne diseases like Staph or E. Coli infections. Hand washing or using hand sanitizing sprays such as our Lemongrass & Rosemary Hand Cleansing Spray can lower your chances of getting an infection by 40%. 

What happens when you touch your face with unhygienic hands? You can spread disease such as pneumonia and the flu. Luckily, washing your hands appropriately with soap like the Tamanu Nut Healing Soap can lower respiratory infections by almost 20%.  

Hand Hygiene Fact #2: When is the most important time for handwashing or sanitizing? 

The most crucial time for handwashing or sanitizing is after going to the bathroom and before cooking. However, only about 20% of people sanitize or wash their hands before cooking. Also, up to 50% of men and about 75% of women sanitize or wash their hands after using the bathroom. 

Do you close the lid or leave it open while flushing the toilet? Whenever you flush with the lid up, a mist that contains bacteria like Staph, and E. Coli extends over an area of about six square meters. This is why you should always close the lid before flushing and wash or use hand sanitizing sprays after opening the lid. 

Hand Hygiene Fact #3: How long should you wash your hands? 

Since washing your hands with soap and water can get rid of germs, how long should you wash to eradicate them? 

CDC recommends that you wash your hands for up to 20 seconds. But you should probably take it a step further by washing for 30 seconds. If you’re washing off dirt, oil or grease, keep washing until your hands are absolutely clean. Although there’s a faster option, using hand sanitizing sprays!

Note: Just 30 seconds of spraying a hand sanitizer like the Hawaiian Lavender Trio can get rid of as many bacteria as two complete minutes of washing your hands. 

Hand Hygiene Fact #4: Where can you find most bacteria on your hands? 

Bacteria are known for hiding underneath the fingernails and on fingertips. After using the bathroom, the number of bacteria in those areas actually doubles. Also, the number of bacteria is higher on the dominant hand. 

However, people wash their non-dominant hands more than the dominant ones. Partly because they use the dominant hand for washing the other. However, you can definitely keep both hands germs-free by using hand sanitizing sprays. 

Hand Hygiene Fact #5: Wet hands spread germs faster than dry hands!

Don’t hesitate to dry your hands after washing. And avoid doing so with reusable towels because they shelter millions of bacteria. Consider using disposable paper towels or a hand-dryer. Wet hands are a thousand times more susceptible to spreading bacteria. In contrast, using a hand sanitizer spray means you won’t have to bother about drying your hands: simply spray onto hands, and massage the spray into all parts of the hands until dry.