Paying attention to personal hygiene is in the news at the moment, thanks to the worrying spread of the coronavirus from China to elsewhere.
The respiratory illness has now infected more than 7,700 people and caused the deaths of 170, although many of those deaths were confined to people with pre-existing medical conditions. The World Health Organization has now declared it a global emergency.
While the spread of the virus outside China is limited, most countries are advising their citizens to prepare against it by exercizing good personal hygiene.
As the experts in cleaning here at Maid Service Potomac, we know a thing or two about personal hygiene. While it’s hitting the headlines at the moment, there is also the every day role hygiene plays. It keeps you and your family healthy by helping to ward off colds, the flu and stomach upsets.
Here are our tips:
Wash your hands
Effective cleaning removes the bacteria on hands, equipment and surfaces, and it stops it spreading into food
For hands, wash them after using the toilet, and before your prepare, cook or eat food. Where possible, use warm, soapy water and clean thoroughly between the fingers. This should take 20-30 seconds.
Use sanitizing wipes or gels if you do not have access to soap and warm water.
You should also wash your hands after playing with or stroking your pet.
Try not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands
Germs and bacteria are often picked up from surfaces. Therefore, in public areas you should avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth to minimise the risk.
You might also want to consider using a disposable face mask when out in public.
Dish cloths
Use clean dish cloths and towels, sponges and oven gloves by ensuring you wash and dry them regularly. Damp, dirty cloths, sponges and towels are breeding grounds for bacteria.
Surfaces and sinks
For kitchen surfaces and sinks, clean regularly with disinfectants and sanitizers. (Warm, soapy water needs to be a very high temperature to kill bacteria and germs, making it too hot to use without scalding your hands.) Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and allow them enough time to work.
Keep your utensils, crockery and cutlery and equipment clean
Remember to prevent cross-contamination by using different chopping boards (or ones that have been washed well in between uses) for raw and cooked meat, and fruit and vegetables.
Don’t wash raw meat. This splashes bacteria on your hands, clothes and surfaces. Thorough cooking should destroy all the bacteria present in raw meat.
Stay safe everyone.
Here at Budget Maids we provide cleaning services in Olney, a Maid Service Potomac or cleaning services in Columbia and surrounds (i.e. VA and most of Maryland). Why not give us a call today and let us help you take the headache out of hygiene in the home?
