Wash or disinfect hands?

Wash or disinfect hands? Everyone has probably asked themselves that question by now. And how often should I actually Wash or disinfect hands? What is more effective? What more harmful? Our hands come into contact with a lot and are therefore an important factor when it comes to our health. But what is the best way to protect us from infections and diseases?

● Wash hands – what should you pay attention to

In fact, washing hands is not the same as washing hands. Holding your hands under the tap and then putting your hand in a towel is hardly the kind of hand washing that is required if you want to protect yourself from bacteria and viruses. Proper hand washing is best done gently and thoroughly. Make sure to lather all sides of your hands and take 40 to 60 seconds to do this. Many children are taught to sing Happy Birthday three times. Alternatively, you can pick a chorus that you like better. Then rinse off the soap thoroughly. Drying off is also important. If, for example, moisture collects under jewelry, the purest herds of germs develop there - and you should avoid that too. So before washing your hands, remove your jewelry and dry your hands thoroughly with a paper towel or your own towel.

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

● Disinfect hands

When disinfecting hands, a rubbing technique can be used to reduce stress on the skin. With this technique, the disinfectant is first rubbed between the palms of the hands, then with the other hand on the back of the hand and then with spread fingers in the spaces between the fingers. Then follow the outside of the fingers, the thumb and the fingertips, which are also supplied with disinfectant. Thanks to the smooth movements of this technique, fat components that are removed from the skin by alcohol are massaged in again and the skin dries out less.

● Spectrum of effects 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 disinfectants. We explain what that means.

○ limited virucidal: A limited virucidal disinfectant can easily show enveloped viruses where to go. It destroys the genetic material inside the enveloped virus and thus protects against infection with influenza and corona viruses as well as mumps, measles and rubella.

○ viruzid: A virucidal disinfectant not only protects you against the enveloped viruses mentioned above, but also against non-enveloped ones such as rhinoviruses and enteroviruses. So if you want to be on the safe side, pay attention to the note virucidal on the packaging of a disinfectant.

● What's the difference?

The difference in this spectrum of action is the target. A limited virucidal disinfectant is just the thing to declare war on the novel coronavirus Sars-Covid-19. 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 against noro, rota and adenoviruses and thus offers a good compromise between the levels of effectiveness.

● Does hand washing help against Corona?

Wash your hands? I've always done that, you're probably thinking. Understandable if there are doubts about the usefulness of washing hands in relation to Corona. But washing your hands actually helps quite a bit against an 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. Washing hands reduces the number of germs and thus the risk.

● Can disinfectants kill viruses?

A disinfectant is a great little helper to kill viruses sustainably. Quickly put a blob on your hand and rub it in as described above. If the cleaning is carried out precisely, your hands will be free of germs and viruses afterwards. However, you should disinfect specifically if, for example, you come into contact with objects in public spaces. Constantly disinfecting your hands in your own four walls is rather counterproductive because it primarily promotes drying out of the skin. 

● Are disinfectants generally harmful?

In general, disinfectant is harmful when it is used excessively, because disinfection can then cause skin damage. You can counteract this by using creams containing fat to rehydrate the skin and thus prevent cracks, redness and irritation. Or you can go straight for a product that combines care and hygiene and prevents damage to your skin in the first place.

● Wash and disinfect hands

Basically, hand washing and disinfection are important strategies to protect yourself from 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 it's a small bottle for your handbag or a large unit for the family bathroom - in our online store you'll find packages that fit your needs and will make your everyday life easier from now on.