Health & Fitness

Tuesday March 10, 2009

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How many times do you wash your hands in a day?

A survey conducted by Lifebuoy on Kosmo newspaper and CloveTWO.com found that a total of 52% of respondents wash their hands more than seven times a day, while 34% do so four to six times a day. The remaining 14% wash their hands less than three times a day. The question remains however: are the majority of those who wash their hands more than seven times a day doing it the right way?

People may be under the false impression that by scrubbing their hands together profusely they're getting rid of germs in the most efficient way. While you can't fault the effort, the ‘method' itself can be improved.

There are simple techniques that can be absorbed into one's daily routine. Here's one: Dispense soap on palms and then start scrubbing in a circular motion, until foam builds up. Then get in between each finger, the ‘hot spots' for germs. Scrub under each fingernail with soap until clean, and don't forget the back of the hands and wrists. Finally, rinse off thoroughly and pat dry with a clean cloth.

While it is good practice to wash one's hand before every meal, it is also crucial that people wash their hands after eating, upon going to the park, after visiting the washroom, when entering the vicinity of their homes, and even after using their PC. Germs can be contracted everywhere and can cause serious damage to one's health, especially when the proper hygiene practices are not maintained.

Proper hygiene should be actively practiced daily, especially when it comes to washing hands. There isn't a fixed number as to how many times one should wash their hands daily, because a number of factors come into play i.e an individual's profession, activities on the day etc.

Bacteria and germs can be contracted by the simplest of gestures such as shaking someone's hands, sneezing or coughing into one's hands, handling animals, handling garbage and even changing diapers.

For observation purposes, we can classify people into three main categories; white -collared workers, blue-collared workers and children.

White-collared workers may not see the need to wash their hands as often as they would need to, on the grounds that they are in an office environment; hence they are less prone to germs or diseases. However, recent studies show there are more germs and bacteria that can be contracted from one's keyboard as opposed to a toilet seat.

On the other hand, blue-collared workers may wash their hands often, but may not be doing it the correct way.

Children are more susceptible to contracting germs, simply because they are more active.

Not having a proper hygiene routine can cause some serious health issues such as fungal infections, diarrhea, stomach ulcers, mouth rashes, and skin problems such as breakouts and eczema. Hence, proper hand washing with soap is more important rather than just washing with water.

Therefore, everyone should consider using an antibacterial soap that focuses on getting rid of bacteria. One popular example is the Lifebuoy antibacterial soap. Lifebuoy advocates hygienic living, manufacturing products that are important for a healthy lifestyle.

To help us and other Malaysians know more about Malaysians' hygiene practices and how it affects our health, please do continue to support our Hygiene Awareness Poll and vote for Question 2 today on CloveTWO.com. We will have another article related to the 2nd Question in two week's time.