Unite for Universal Hand Hygiene - Global Handwashing Day 15th October
Global Handwashing Day is on the 15th October. Organised by the Global Handwashing Partnership, the purpose of Global Handwashing Day is to raise awareness about the importance of handwashing to prevent the spread of disease and ultimately save lives. It’s also “an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands at critical times”.
The theme of this year’s Global Handwashing Day is “Unite for Universal Handwashing”. According to the WHO and UNICEF, we need to quadruple the rates of progress in hand hygiene, to be able to achieve hygiene efforts set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. So, we can do more if we unite and do things together.
Why handwashing is so important
Good hand hygiene plays a key role in reducing the spread of a range of diseases including diarrheal, respiratory and outbreak-related pathogens such as cholera, Ebola, SARS, hepatitis E and of course COVID-19. But its importance extends beyond simply preventing disease outbreaks alone. By reducing the spread of infectious diseases, we also reduce school and work absenteeism and help to protect front-line workers.
Effective hand hygiene
Thorough handwashing with soap and water is the most effective way to ensure good hand hygiene, but the use of hand santisers is a helpful alternative where access to water is not possible. We saw from the COVID-19 pandemic how a concerted effort for thorough handwashing could help prevent the spread of the virus, but also the availability of hand santisers in many places where we might not have seen them pre-pandemic. And while the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic may be over, we may yet see a resurgence in cases and many other diseases are also here to stay, so it is important to make sure that good hand hygiene remains a priority.
While there are everyday occasions when you should wash your hands such as before preparing food and eating, tending to a wound, after handling raw food, using the toilet or touching animals, we learned from the pandemic that more frequent handwashing or sanitising is important to prevent the transmission of viruses. But as we do, we also need to be careful not to overuse chemicals that may be harmful or cause skin irritation.
Hand hygiene products that are kind on skin
At Cleenol, we understand the importance of practicing good hygiene with frequent handwashing, which is why we have created a range of products that can be used regularly without harming or irritating the skin.
Our Senses hand wash is designed for frequent use and is available in three scents – Rose Lily, Peach, and Green Apple. Or if you are looking for a more luxurious range, try our Ast & Greaves products including our carefully balanced, lightly perfumed hand washes, which are available in Jasmine & Apple Blossom and Black Pepper & Ginseng.
We also provide a range of hand sanitisers including alcohol and non-alcohol sanitising gels and sprays. Our 70% Alcohol Sanitising Gel or Spray, kills 99.99% of viruses and 99.999% of bacteria but if you’re looking for a hand sanitiser designed for frequent use that is kind on the hands, then try our Senses Alcohol-Free Hand Sanitiser. It doesn’t dry as fast as an alcohol-based sanitiser, meaning you need to rub your hands together for longer, which provides better coverage and a more durable resistance on your hands. But if you are unsure as to which hand sanitiser is most effective to suit your needs then have a read of one of our previous posts, which tells you all you need to know.
Find out more about our range of hand hygiene products. Contact our team today: sales@cleenol.co.uk.
