Wash or disinfect hands?

Wash or disinfect hands? By now, everyone has probably asked themselves this question. And how often should I actually wash or disinfect my hands? What is more effective? What more harmful? Our hands come into contact with many things and are therefore an important factor when it comes to our health. But what best protects us from infections and diseases?

Washing hands – what should you pay attention

In fact, not all hand washing is the same. Holding your hands under the faucet once and then reaching into the towel once is hardly the hand washing that is called for if you want to protect yourself from bacteria and viruses. Proper hand washing is ideally done gently and thoroughly. Be sure to lather all sides of your hands, taking 40 to 60 seconds to do so. Many children are taught to sing Happy Birthday three times. Alternatively, you can choose a chorus that you like better. Then rinse the soap thoroughly. Drying is also important. If moisture now collects under jewelry, for example, the purest hotbeds of germs are created there – and this should also be avoided. So before washing your hands, take off your jewelry and dry your hands thoroughly with a paper towel or your own towel.

People also often ask: should I disinfect my hands before or after washing them? The answer to this is quite simple: you should either wash or disinfect your hands, but not both at the same time.

Disinfect hands

When disinfecting the hands, a rubbing technique can be used to reduce the stress on the skin. In this technique, the disinfectant is first rubbed between the palms of the hands, then each time with the other hand on the back of the hand and then with spread fingers in the spaces between the fingers. This is followed by the outer sides of the fingers, the thumb and the fingertips, which are also treated with disinfectant. Through smooth movements with this technique, fat components that are dissolved from the skin by alcohol are massaged back in and the skin dries out less.

Spectra of action of disinfectants

If you want to get an effective disinfectant in the wake of the corona pandemic, you should know the following differences: There are virucidal disinfectants and limited virucidal. We explain what this means.

Limited virucidal

A limited virucidal disinfectant can easily show enveloped viruses the ropes. It destroys the genetic material inside the enveloped virus and thus protects against infection with influenza and coronaviruses as well as mumps, measles and rubella.

Virucidal

A virucidal disinfectant protects you not only from the enveloped viruses mentioned above, but also from non-enveloped ones such as rhino and enteroviruses. So if you want to be on the safe side, look for the word virucidal on the packaging of a disinfectant.

What is the difference?

The difference in this spectrum of action is the target. A limited virucidal disinfectant is just the thing to combat the novel Sars-Covid-19 coronavirus. However, it does not kill non-enveloped viruses. Recently, there has even been an intermediate stage in this spectrum: the limited virucidal Plus disinfectant. This is effective against enveloped viruses as well as noroviruses, rotaviruses and adenoviruses, thus offering a good compromise between the levels of activity.

Does hand washing help against Corona?

Hand washing? I’ve always done that, you’re probably thinking. It is understandable that doubts arise about the usefulness of hand washing in relation to Corona. But actually hand washing helps quite well against infection with Corona. After all, hands are often carriers of germs and unknowingly transport the viruses into our organism. This can happen, for example, if you touch your face and have germs on your fingers. Hand washing reduces the number of germs and therefore the risk.

Can disinfectant kill viruses?

To kill viruses permanently, a disinfectant is a great little helper. Quickly put a blob on the hand and rubbed as described above. If the cleaning is done precisely, your hands will be free of germs and viruses afterwards. However, you should disinfect specifically when you come into contact with objects in public spaces, for example. Constantly disinfecting your hands in your own home is rather counterproductive, because it mainly promotes drying of the skin.

Is disinfectant generally harmful?

In general, disinfectant is harmful when it is used excessively, because then disinfection can cause skin damage. This can be countered by using creams that contain fat to rehydrate the skin, preventing cracking, redness and irritation. Or you can go straight for a product that combines care and hygiene and won’t harm your skin in the first place.

Wash and disinfect hands

Basically, hand washing and disinfection are important strategies to protect against viral infections. We have developed a disinfectant gel for this purpose, which not only lies smoothly on your skin, but also smells fresh and, of course, effectively fights all pathogens. Whether vials for the handbag or large unit for the family bathroom – in our online store you will find packages that fit your needs and henceforth facilitate your everyday life.