These days we are all working hard on the situation around the coronavirus – the main task is to prevent the further spread of the disease. One of the key factors is frequent and thorough hand washing. We know that disinfection is now a scarce commodity, but if you have it, we also recommend disinfecting your home and essentials. We will advise you how to do this.
Clean hands, half health – this applies under any circumstances
It is usually recommended to wash your hands more often than usual, ideally with antibacterial soap. Hand washing time should be 40-60 seconds according to WHO recommendations.
After washing your hands, it is recommended to use a disinfectant in the form of a hand gel or a disinfecting cloth, if available. Hand sanitizer is smeared in the palms and between the fingers to dry. We also process the back of the palms with the product. You can also use gels or wipes at any time of the day when you do not have access to running water, although the optimal procedure is 1. water with soap, 2. disinfectant.
Do not forget to moisten your hands
Although hand detergents and disinfectants usually contain ingredients that prevent excessive drying of the skin (for example, glycerin), if we carry out hand hygiene as intensively as the current situation requires, the protective skin barrier (hydrolipidic protective film) is destroyed and the skin dries out. .
Dry skin on the hands is dense, itchy, red or even cracked, which increases the risk of infection in the body. Therefore, after each wash, it is important to treat your hands with a moisturizer that will help keep moisture in the skin. Also, do not forget to moisturize the hands of children – their skin is softer and more sensitive than that of adults. In this case, special care is required when caring for the hands of children with a tendency to atopy, so that the problems do not worsen with an increase in the level of hygiene. To care for your hands after hygiene, use emollient and moisturizing cosmetics specially designed to care for tense skin of your hands.
A little theory about disinfection
Simply put, disinfection is the destruction of unwanted microorganisms. Disinfection can be carried out by chemical or physical means (for example, UV radiation, high temperature). Unlike antibiotics, disinfection concerns the external environment. A disinfectant can be defined as an antimicrobial agent that is used to destroy some or all pathogenic microorganisms that can cause infection. Disinfectants are substances that reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level. Substances that interfere with the life cycle of a microorganism (inhibit growth, reproduction or kill them) are called biocides – or substances with a biocidal effect.
There are a number of substances that are used as disinfectants (alcohols, hydrogen peroxide, aldehydes, hypochlorites, iodine, ozone, potassium permanganate and others). The most common disinfectants are made on the basis of alcohol. To ensure their effectiveness, the alcohol content should be at least 60-70%. Unfortunately, the domestic production of alcohol disinfectant according to WHO is not very appropriate for non-professionals due to the lack of raw materials; alcoholic beverages from a home bar usually contain no more than 52%, which is not enough to effectively eliminate pathogens.
Due to the shortage of disinfectants on the market, it should be borne in mind that ordinary soap, detergents and warm water are sufficient for the mechanical removal of viruses. For disinfection of surfaces, substances based on “chlorine bleach” (English Bleach, savo) are most often used.
Disinfection at home
We are also increasing the frequency of household disinfection – it is good to wipe the floor once a day, ideally after all the household members have returned from work. Strongly exposed surfaces and objects, i.e. those that are affected by several people, are wiped several times a day.
In particular, these are:
Door handle
Switches
Kitchen set
Refrigerator handle
Bathroom
We also regularly wipe everyday items:
Keyboard and mouse
Mobile phones, tablets (in this case, we first disinfect a paper napkin, and then lightly wipe the display and the entire device)
Remote control (TV, game consoles)
Do not forget about disinfection in the car, wipe regularly with disinfection:
Flying
Gear shift lever
Door handle
Set aside one pair of rubber gloves for cleaning and do not use them for anything else. Discard or boil the cloth you used for cleaning. Always read the instructions carefully when using disinfectants.
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