Importance of Washing Your Hands

Millions of reasons to wash your hands

There are about 200 million reasons to wash your hands after going to the toilet, because that's the number of bacteria present on your hands. If you don't then wash your hands, but then touch your mouth, nose or eyes, bacteria have the opportunity to enter the body through the mucous membranes.

Bad bacteria and/or germs can cause an infection such as colds and flu. The Covid virus has made us realize that washing our hands with soap is really important to prevent infections.

Reduce the risk of infections

During the day there is always the risk of coming into contact with pathogens such as viruses and (bad) bacteria. Good bacteria are important for staying healthy. The bad bacteria and viruses are simply removed by washing your hands with soap.

By washing your hands properly, the possibility of contracting an infection is reduced. A higher level of hygiene reduces the chance of cross-contamination and lowers absenteeism within organizations.

80% of infections are caused by a lack of hand washing.

Viruses spread at lightning speed

Viruses such as the flu and corona spread very quickly, including through sneezing and coughing. It gets into the air and onto surfaces. Your hands are also the perfect way to spread a virus. Hands constantly touch objects that other people also use with their hands: door handles, taps, keyboards, etc.

Contamination through hand contact

In addition, bacteria and viruses are transmitted from one person to another through hand contact. This is the reason why it has been advised not to shake hands. The most important method of preventing the spread of a virus remains regular hand washing.

In short, washing hands with soap is crucial in preventing infections. Whether preventing the flu virus, corona or the common cold, regular hand washing is wise. Creating sufficient opportunities for hand washing at work is essential to ensure the safety of staff and visitors. Education on this subject at schools and healthcare institutions, also plays a major role.

10 facts about hand washing

1. Bacteria have the ability to survive for 48 hours on a surface.

2. 80% of infections between people occur through the hands.

3. 47% of illnesses are preventable if hands are washed properly.

4. A computer mouse contains an average of 10,000 organisms per cm2.

5. A keyboard contains an average of 10,000 organisms per cm2.

6. Only 30% wash their hands with soap after visiting the toilet.

7. A "contaminated" hand can transmit this to 5 new objects or 14 other people.

8. An office worker comes into contact with more than 10 million bacteria daily.

9. 90% of hospitality visitors consider a clean toilet more important than good service.

10. A hot air dryer increases bacteria rather than decreases it.