A new study by Michigan State University researchers found that only 5 percent of people who used the bathroom washed their hands long enough to kill the germs that can cause infections.
According to the World Health Organization, diarrhoel related diseases are the second leading cause of death in children under five years old,and are responsible for killing around 525,000 children every year globally.
Now this is scary, as diarrheal related diseases are typically contracted through poor hygiene, sanitation, unsafe water sources, or contaminated food. Although, it’s almost impossible to live without contacting germs, staying relatively germ-free is easier than you may think.
So, as we approach Global Handwashing Day on October 15th, we are sharing 5 ways you can contact germs and how to keep yourself far from diarrhea related diseases.
1. Wipe Your Keyboards: Computer keyboards are germ collection machines. If you look very closely at your keyboard, you can see dirt particles, don’t lie. Now imagine looking at all that through a microscope. Yup! A sanitary wipe down every day will be a smart move.
2. Clean Your Dirty Phone: The mobile phone is the dirtiest thing you own. Some have argued that the phone is dirtier than a toilet seat, because of the amount of germs it accumulates being placed on dirty surfaces and being passed from hand to hand all day. And to think it’s that same phone you put in your mouth when you need to use the torch light. Oh no!
3. Clean Your Handbags and Briefcases: The handbag is another germ accumulating item. Think of how we are quick to drop them on floors and random public areas. It’s this same bag you dump on the kitchen counter after a long day at work. Eeeeew.
4. Watch out for the Office Kitchen: A Time Magazine report declared the office kitchen as the dirtiest place in the building, simply because it harbors germs in places that are often overlooked by cleaners, like the microwave and refrigerator handles. So unless you want to have a mouthful of germs, you might want to wash your hands before eating lunch.
5. Wash Your Hands Regularly: Your hands and Dettol soap should be best friends morning, noon and night. Think about it. We touch germ-full things all day. Medical journals advise that we should sanitize or wash our hands with antibacterial soap at least 5 times daily. And that’s the whole point of Global Handwashing Day.
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