Handwashing is the basic tenet of hygiene, especially after using the washroom. This simple practice goes without saying that it is necessary for hygiene. By washing hands, many germs and diseases can be averted. An Australian Report of Food Safety Information Council revealed a surprising trend: Many people still refrain from washing their hands after finishing their bathroom business.

Handwash trends

There was a noticeable gender gap regarding hygiene in the report. 83% of women reported washing their hands after using the toilet, compared to 80% of men. The disparity is more prominent when it comes to washing hands before meals, with only 55% of men and 62% of women doing so before eating. Older demographic groups are more conscious about hygiene, with 86% of those aged 65 and above washing their hands after using the toilet, while only 69% of those under 34 do the same.

People aged 35 and above experience a shift in handwashing behaviour, developing a more positive attitude towards handwashing. This could be due to concerns about hygiene as they step into parenthood. This indicates that age is crucial in hygiene awareness and understanding its importance. Older individuals are generally more cautious about their health, which leads them to adopt healthier hygiene practices.

Why handwash is important

Handwash safeguards against germs and ailments. Christine Carson, Senior Research Fellow at The University of Western Australia elaborated on The Conversation on the importance of handwash. Avoiding handwash after the toilet is potentially hazardous as urine and faeces carry millions of germs. Faeces, specifically have over 100 billion germs per gram. After coming in contact with germs at the toilet and going left without washing, the germs get deposited on the next surface touched, leading to the spread of bacteria in the house. This also increases the risk of exposure and infection of other people, especially those older people or people undergoing cancer treatment. Before cooking and eating, it is equally important to wash hands. The disease-causing germ may transfer to the food where they multiply and produce toxins. The contaminated food can induce vomiting and loose motion.

How to properly wash hands

The report outlined a few essential steps to wash hands effectively. These are simple, and if adopted in everyday routine, especially after using a toilet, you can protect yourself against several disease-causing germs

1. The first step is to wet your hands and with the handwash rub the hands well to allow a good lather to build. Don’t forget to clean between the fingers and around the nails- as these areas are often overlooked during a handwash.
2. Put your hands under running water and thoroughly wash off the lather.
3. Use a clean towel to dry the hands properly, at least for a minimum of 20 seconds. Moist hands when touched on a surface may help further spread the bacteria, so it’s best to wait and dry out the hands.
4. Another alternative, the report suggested when water is not available, go for alcohol-hand sanitizer to kill all the germs

Read Also: Bhavana Panday’s bold take on women’s health: Healthy habits to help you thrive during perimenopause