It is shocking to know that just 5% of toilet users wash their hands correctly. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, failing to wash or inadequately washing hands leads to almost 50% of foodborne illnesses. And, every 20 seconds, a child loses life as a result of poor sanitation[1].
Are you making the most of a proper toilet and sanitation that around 37% of the World’s population is still lacking? Here we deal with the 5 most common toilet mistakes you never knew you made:
1. Flushing the toilet while the lid is up: Every time a lidless toilet is flushed, it aerosolizes a fine mist of microbes. This cloud may disperse over an area as large as 65 square feet. Close the lid before you flush to keep those gross toilet particles out of the air.
2. Sitting on the toilet for too long: There is a common health risk associated with sitting on the ceramic throne for too long: hemorrhoids. You may also experience itchiness or discomfort around the rectal area. Just remember that the toilet isn’t the time or place for “me” time.
Hemorrhoids can be painful and uncomfortable. Talk to an expert to get relief.
3. Keeping toothbrush too close to the toilet:Toothbrushes should be stored about 4 feet away or more from the toilet. Store toothbrushes separately in an upright position in a dry area to prevent the risk of harboring bacteria and cross-contamination with other toothbrushes.
4. Using hot-air hand dryers in public restrooms: New research says they might be sucking up bacteria from the air, and dumping them on the newly washed hands of unsuspecting patrons. Paper towels are the most hygienic way to dry your hands.
5. Using hand sanitizers as a replacement of hand washing: Reserve hand sanitizers for handy usage. Make sure the rub come into contact with all the surfaces of your hands — back, front, in between the fingers, and so forth.
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Remember to not overdo handwashing. Use hand lotions, especially during the winter. Keeping the skin of your hands intact is essential to good hand hygiene.
How Often Should You Wash Your Hands?
There’s no set frequency; depends on your activities. Must-wash occasions include after using the bathroom, before eating or preparing food, and after being with someone who’s ill, particularly if he or she has a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection.
The Art Of Handwashing
-Don’t be in a hurry. It takes about a minute to properly wash and dry your hands.
-Washing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds (about the time it takes to sing one chorus of “Happy Birthday to You”) reduces bacterial counts by about 90%.
-It takes about 20 seconds to dry your hands well if you’re using paper or cloth towels and 30–45 seconds under an air dryer.
-Every 20 sec, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation and 80% of infectious diseases are caused by inadequate sanitation facilities[1]
**Consult India’s best doctors here**
Let “your hands are crawling with germs” be an old, old news. What should be new, is a seemingly clean pair of hands.
(The article is reviewed by Dr. Swati Mishra, Medical Editor)
Recommended Reads:
Should You Use Paper Towels Or Hand Dryers?
World Hand Hygiene Day: Why, How And When To Wash Hands?
References:
1. Access to Sanitation. Water to life decade. The United Nations (UN). https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/sanitation.shtml