5 Handwashing Myths
Keeping your hands clean is the best thing you can do to help prevent the spread of disease. But there is a lot of misinformation out there that can actually create some pretty big problems. Check out these 5 common handwashing myths.
1. Wearing gloves removes the need for handwashing.
Wearing gloves does not remove the need for handwashing. A hand hygiene event should happen prior to donning gloves. Gloves can have unseen defects or can be torn during use, providing a point of contact for the skin. In addition, bacteria can multiply rapidly in the moist environments underneath gloves. We should also note that just like your skin, gloved hands can pick up germs so it is important to preform an additional hand hygiene event after donning gloves.
2. Washing your hands with soap and water kills germs.
Soap isn't designed to kill germs. It acts as a surfactant to lift dirt & pathogens off of surfaces so it can be rinsed away. CleanTech® uses 3 sets of nozzles to evenly spread solution and water over your hands and force pathogens down the drain.
3. Hot water is more effective for washing your hands than cold water.
Temperature does not change the effectiveness of a hand wash. Scientists found that varying water temperature had no effect on pathogen reduction. That being said, I think everyone prefers warm water over cold.
4. Using a hand sanitizer is just as effective as washing your hands.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of microbes on hands in some situations, but sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs. - CDC
Handwashing is effective against all types of germs. While sanitizers are convenient and in some situations can be effective, it cannot replace a hand wash. Meritech is trying to solve this by making a handwashing more convenient. Our stations remove over 99.9% of pathogens in 12 seconds!
5. Frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizers is good for your skin.
Cracked, dry, and irritated skin develops from frequent and repeated use of some hand hygiene products. Meritech UltraPure hand hygiene solution contains skin softeners that leave your hands soft, even after repeated use.
Our mission is to save lives and prevent the spread of disease through effective hygiene. To achieve that we must not only expose these very common misconceptions, but provide viable solutions to the problems they pose. Wash away your risk by guaranteeing proper hand hygiene in your business.
Visit our "Why Automation?" page to learn more about how automated hygiene beats manual hygiene!
