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“React to the market, act quickly and remain relevant” How can you dry your hands hygienically?
Hygiënisch handen drogen? Collega Michel van der Hoeven neemt jullie mee in een luchtig en serieus lesje handhygiëne.
Handhygiëne heeft de wereld in z’n greep, we ervaren dat allemaal. Maar hoe krijgen we weer grip op ons leven? Een goede handhygiëne is de absolute basis, handdroging maakt daar een zeer belangrijk deel van uit. Dus hygiënisch handen drogen. Hoe dan?
Diverse onderzoeken presenteren ons de feiten genadeloos: meer dan de helft van de bevolking voor de corona-uitbraak wast de handen niet grondig met zeep na een toiletbezoek. En wees eerlijk, doe je het zelf altijd? Ringen af, je handen goed en langdurig inzepen, goed afspoelen, de kraan met een papieren handdoekje dichtdraaien enzovoort. Ik probeer het… In de tijd van covid-19 is het besef van handenwassen groot en handenwassen nóg belangrijker geworden, want je wilt niet met het coronavirus besmet worden en ook niet dat je vervolgens anderen besmet.
Hand hygiene has a tight hold on the entire world, as we all know. But how do we get a hold of our own lives again? Good hand hygiene is the basis for this, and hand drying is a very important part of it. In short, we need to dry our hands hygienically. But how?
Studies reveal the uncomfortable truth: before Covid, over half of the population did not thoroughly wash their hands with soap after going to the bathroom. Be 100% honest, do you always do so? Remvoe your rings, lather up your hands, rinse, turn off the tap using a paper towel so as not to come into contact with it, etc. I myself do try... In these times of Covid-19, awareness of hand washing has grown and hand washing has become even more important. After all, you do not want to get infected with Covid and you do not want to infect others.
Merely washing your hands with soap does not ensure optimal hygiene. How you dry youw hands is at least as important. There are several ways to dry your hands. Previous studies, such as this one by Professor Mark Wilcox presented at Interclean in 2018 regarding contamination in toilet areas, and this one by French hospital hygienist team SF2H, have already proven it, and now we are convinced: drying hands with paper is by far the most hygienic way to dry washed hands. Why?
By drying your hands with a paper towel, the bacteria stick to the fibers of the paper and the paper disappears into the waste bin immediately after use. A paper towel ensures over three quarters less bacteria on your hands. A hand dryer with warm air, on the other hand, causes an increase in bacteria. The hand dryers do not absorb the bacteria, but spread them throughout the room. The spread can reach almost 2 meters. This is definitely not desirable in our new one-and-a-half-meter society. Our #newnormal.
You can also dry your hands using a textile roller, but such a roller only ensures a very small decrease in bacteria. The disadvantage of these rolls is that you often have to grab a wet part before you can use the roll. In addition, the used part disappears into a collection container, a breeding ground for bacteria.
Which method dries the fastest? People in public restrooms are often rushing and don't want to queue too long to dry their hands. Paper towels are the fastest and most effective way to dry hands, namely three times faster than textile towel rolls and five times faster than hot air dryers. Which method for drying hands will you choose for yourself, your visitors, colleagues or guests? Hand hygiene and its importance are now high on the list of priorities worldwide. We must maintain that awareness. To get and keep a grip. For your future, my future, and that of all of us.
PS: Have you got it all figured out? Is the washroom in your restaurant, office building or production unit ready to be part of a clean future? Feel free to contact me with any questions or advice.
Source: Cleaning news
