Last week I mentioned the fact that we are a nation of shopaholics and fizzy drink fanatics. This week we have been reminded that we are also a nation of people that don’t wash our hands properly. This might not come as a surprise to parents. As many have long suspected, kids really are strangers to soap. A survey by the food and drink federation has found almost half do not always wash their hands after they have been to the toilet at school or before eating, putting them at risk of food poisoning.
The most common reasons for not washing their hands were not having time, because the toilets were dirty or simply because they forgot.
The survey of over 500 teenagers aged 11 to 19 by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) found 40% of those who do always wash their hands don't always use soap.
Three quarters say they dry their hands on their clothes if in a hurry.
But the FDF warns 1,000 times as many germs are spread from damp hands than dry.
Over half the teenagers surveyed said they did not always wash their hands before eating lunch at school But many teenagers did know the rules about when they should wash their hands. Two thirds knew they should wash them after going to the toilet, and 41% that they should have clean hands before preparing food. But only a quarter knew they should wash their hands after touching raw meat and before touching other foods or utensils. Just one in three knew it was important to wash their hands after touching pets because they could harbour germs. This habit of poor hygiene generally carries on to adulthood.
HANDWASHING
Typically, people carry between 10,000 and 10 million bacteria on each hand. I was visiting a hospital recently where they have introduced alcohol washes at every ward door. These are supposed to kill off the deadly viruses that are around but they have been met with mixed feelings, as they don’t seem to kill of the viruses that are infesting hospitals.
Washing hands with soap and water is still best, but what kind of soap should you use? Most people are turning to antibacterial soaps but they too have their problems
Seven years ago, only a few dozen products containing antibacterial agents were being marketed for the home. Now more than 700 are available. We are being bombarded with ads for cleansers, soaps, toothbrushes, dishwashing detergents, and hand lotions, all containing antibacterial agents to kill off the “Superbugs” Germs have become the buzzword for a danger people want to eliminate from their surroundings. In response to these messages, we are buying antibacterial products because we think these offer health protection for our families. Among the newer products in the antibacterial craze are antibacterial window cleaner and antibacterial chopsticks. Antibacterial agents are now in plastic food storage containers in England. In Italy, antibacterial products are touted in public laundries. In America you can purchase a mattress completely impregnated with an antibacterial agent (so they will be here soon!). Whole bathrooms and bedrooms can be outfitted with products containing triclosan (a common antibacterial agent), including pillows, sheets, towels, and slippers. Antibacterial soaps are not only easier to locate than they were just a few years ago, in some cases, they are difficult to avoid. It's almost impossible to find non-antibacterial products in today's supermarkets and shops. Over 70 percent of the liquid soap you can buy now is labeled antibacterial.
While those selling the stuff would like us to believe that these products will reduce our chances of getting sick, whether or not that is the case is still in question. One test was carried out recently where chosen households were randomly assigned to use cleaning, laundry and hand washing products that contained antibacterial ingredients, or identical-looking products that did not have antibacterial ingredients.... At the end of 48 weeks, there was essentially no difference between the two groups in the seven infectious disease symptoms surveyed, including runny nose, cough, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea. Doctors are particularly concerned that antibacterial soaps could be contributing to the growing problem of drug resistant bacteria. This may be because it is killing the weakest bacteria, leaving the tougher, hard-to-kill strains dominant. Overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of new bacterial strains that are largely untreatable because they are resistant to existing drugs.
The simple solution then is not to use antibacterial cleaners as a substitute for slapdash hand washing. Thorough washing in the cracks and crevices of the hand with natural soap will do a far better job!
Household,environmental.
The most common reasons for not washing their hands were not having time, because the toilets were dirty or simply because they forgot.
The survey of over 500 teenagers aged 11 to 19 by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) found 40% of those who do always wash their hands don't always use soap.
Three quarters say they dry their hands on their clothes if in a hurry.
But the FDF warns 1,000 times as many germs are spread from damp hands than dry.
Over half the teenagers surveyed said they did not always wash their hands before eating lunch at school But many teenagers did know the rules about when they should wash their hands. Two thirds knew they should wash them after going to the toilet, and 41% that they should have clean hands before preparing food. But only a quarter knew they should wash their hands after touching raw meat and before touching other foods or utensils. Just one in three knew it was important to wash their hands after touching pets because they could harbour germs. This habit of poor hygiene generally carries on to adulthood.
HANDWASHING
Typically, people carry between 10,000 and 10 million bacteria on each hand. I was visiting a hospital recently where they have introduced alcohol washes at every ward door. These are supposed to kill off the deadly viruses that are around but they have been met with mixed feelings, as they don’t seem to kill of the viruses that are infesting hospitals.
Washing hands with soap and water is still best, but what kind of soap should you use? Most people are turning to antibacterial soaps but they too have their problems
Seven years ago, only a few dozen products containing antibacterial agents were being marketed for the home. Now more than 700 are available. We are being bombarded with ads for cleansers, soaps, toothbrushes, dishwashing detergents, and hand lotions, all containing antibacterial agents to kill off the “Superbugs” Germs have become the buzzword for a danger people want to eliminate from their surroundings. In response to these messages, we are buying antibacterial products because we think these offer health protection for our families. Among the newer products in the antibacterial craze are antibacterial window cleaner and antibacterial chopsticks. Antibacterial agents are now in plastic food storage containers in England. In Italy, antibacterial products are touted in public laundries. In America you can purchase a mattress completely impregnated with an antibacterial agent (so they will be here soon!). Whole bathrooms and bedrooms can be outfitted with products containing triclosan (a common antibacterial agent), including pillows, sheets, towels, and slippers. Antibacterial soaps are not only easier to locate than they were just a few years ago, in some cases, they are difficult to avoid. It's almost impossible to find non-antibacterial products in today's supermarkets and shops. Over 70 percent of the liquid soap you can buy now is labeled antibacterial.
While those selling the stuff would like us to believe that these products will reduce our chances of getting sick, whether or not that is the case is still in question. One test was carried out recently where chosen households were randomly assigned to use cleaning, laundry and hand washing products that contained antibacterial ingredients, or identical-looking products that did not have antibacterial ingredients.... At the end of 48 weeks, there was essentially no difference between the two groups in the seven infectious disease symptoms surveyed, including runny nose, cough, sore throat, vomiting and diarrhea. Doctors are particularly concerned that antibacterial soaps could be contributing to the growing problem of drug resistant bacteria. This may be because it is killing the weakest bacteria, leaving the tougher, hard-to-kill strains dominant. Overuse of antibiotics has led to the emergence of new bacterial strains that are largely untreatable because they are resistant to existing drugs.
The simple solution then is not to use antibacterial cleaners as a substitute for slapdash hand washing. Thorough washing in the cracks and crevices of the hand with natural soap will do a far better job!
Household,environmental.
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