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The beginning of hygiene awareness
We all remember being told how to wash our hands by our parents and teachers at school but where does the history of washroom hygiene really begin.
In 1850, Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian physician introduced hand washing standards after discovering that the occurrence of fever could be prevented by practicing hand disinfection. Being ahead of his time, Ignaz believed that microbes causing infection were readily transferred between people and objects via their hands.
Today, people’s awareness of the spread of germs is evident, as highlighted in a recent independent consumer survey where 83% of respondents said having to touch the washroom door handle as they leave the bathroom is a hygiene issue for them.
The final battle for washroom hygiene
These people have a valid concern given that a different survey highlighted the fact that 1 in 3 people do not wash their hands at all after using the washroom. The common washroom can play host to an array of serious gems, such as E. coli, Shigella Bacteria, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus and Influenza (and the Common Cold). For those that conscientiously clean and dry their hands, the washroom door handle is the final barrier between them and a germ-free washroom experience.
Encouraging handwashing
Unfortunately there will always be people who don’t wash their hands properly, but it is important to do everything possible to encourage people to take hand hygiene seriously. This means providing effective soap and sanitising solutions, such as the Foam Soap Dispenser which can be wall mounted by sinks to provide a convenient supply of soap in a high-capacity dispenser to reduce the need for refills. To further encourage washroom users to wash their hands it is a good idea to place posters in the washrooms reminding people about the importance of hand hygiene. For example, a hand washing technique poster will help to encourage people to not just wash their hands, but to also do it properly.
Another effective hygiene solution is to place hand sanitiser dispensers by doors, so that users can sanitise their hands after coming into contact with door handles.
Get in touch about the Citron Touch
If you are interested in finding out more about our washroom soap and sanitising solutions, then please contact us today.