Are you washing your hands properly?

Introduction

In today's world, infection control measures are essential. Of course, wearing a mask and using alcohol-based disinfectants are important, but don't forget to wash your hands regularly! When you were a child, you were careful about how and in what order to wash your hands, but what about now? Do you wash your hands without thinking about it? Now is a good time to reconsider how you wash your hands! In this article, we will introduce the necessity of washing your hands and the order in which to wash them.

Is hand washing really necessary?

Many people believe that if you use alcohol-based disinfectant, you don't need to wash your hands, but that's not true! While alcohol can disinfect, it cannot remove dirt or debris from your hands. It's difficult to "disinfect while keeping your hands clean" using alcohol-based disinfectant alone. It's best to think of alcohol-based disinfectant as a substitute for washing your hands with soap when there's no place to do so.

How much of the virus does hand washing reduce?

There are several ways to wash your hands. Let's take a look at the graph to see how much virus is reduced when washing with only running water and when using soap. From the above, we can see that the virus is reduced just by washing your hands with running water. If you wash your hands with soap and take your time, the virus is reduced even more. Next, we will introduce ways to wash your hands more effectively.

Hand washing order

1. Wet your hands thoroughly with running water, then apply soap and scrub your palms thoroughly.
2. Rub the backs of your hands to stretch them.
3. Rub thoroughly under your fingertips and nails.
4. Wash between your fingers.
5. Twist your thumbs and palms to wash them.
6. Don't forget to wash your wrists too.

Washing your hands in the above order is said to be more effective. Don't forget to wash areas that are often left unwashed, such as between your nails and fingers, between the creases in your palms, and your wrists!

Recommended solid soap for hand washing

Yokan soap recommended for carrying around

Rice bran yokan soap - red bean ￥390 (¥429 including tax)

A blend of rice bran oil and several types of plant oils, it leaves your skin feeling moisturized and with a soft cypress scent.

IMAYO Rice Bran Soap: A Thorough Cleanser and a Great Gift

IMAYO Rice Bran Soap - Double Cherry Blossom ¥990 (¥1,089 including tax)

IMAYO uses rice bran oil, which combines the two functions of cleansing and beauty, as its base, and incorporates a unique blend of oils and extracts.