PROMOTING HABITS

Hand washing

Hand hygiene is defined as hand washing or washing hands and nails with soap and water or using a water less hand sanitizer. Hand hygiene is central to preventing the spread of infectious diseases in home and everyday life settings.

In situations where hand washing with soap is not an option (e.g., when in a public place with no access to wash facilities), a water less hand sanitizer such as an alcohol hand gel can be used. They can be used in addition to hand washing to minimize risks when caring for "at-risk" groups. To be effective, alcohol hand gels should contain not less than 60%v/v alcohol.

Respiratory hygiene

Correct respiratory and hand hygiene when coughing and sneezing reduces the spread of pathogens particularly during the cold and flu season.

Hygiene in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet

Routine cleaning of (hand, food, drinking water) sites and surfaces (such as toilet seats and flush handles, door and tap handles, work surfaces, bath and basin surfaces) in the kitchen, bathroom and toilet reduces the risk of spread of pathogens. The infection risk from flush toilets is not high, provided they are properly maintained, although some splashing and aerosol formation can occur during flushing, particularly when someone has diarrhea. In case of using public toilets you can always use a Toilet Seat Sanitizer to spray on the seat before sitting on it. A toilet seat sanitizer helps to kill bacteria just as any other sanitizer which helps to protect from UTI. Pathogens can survive in the scum or scale left behind on baths, showers and wash basins after washing and bathing.

Laundry hygiene

Laundry hygiene involves practices that prevent disease and its spread via soiled clothing and household linens such as towels.^[18] Items most likely to be contaminated with pathogens are those that come into direct contact with the body, e.g., underwear, personal towels, facecloths, nappies. Cloths or other fabric items used during food preparation, or for cleaning the toilet or cleaning up material such as feces or vomit are a particular risk.