With flu season coming up and the new strain of flu here, it is more important than ever before to make sure that you know how to safeguard against the flu. Besides protecting yourself against the flu it is just proper hygiene. The best way to start is to make sure that you have the proper conditions, you need a good antibacterial soap, and it is best to use the liquid soap. Using a bar soap works just as well but by using a pump soap, you won’t be handling the same soap someone who may have a cold did.

Always try to use warm or mildly hot water when washing your hands. Cold or room temperature water won’t help kill germs or bacteria as warm to mildly hot water will. Next, pump some soap into your hands; make sure that it is an enough to get a good lather going. Make sure that you wash up to your wrists. Then rinse with water. If you have been working with food then you will want to have a nailbrush near the sink. This will help scrub out any excess food that may have gotten under your nails.

Once you have washed your hands, your first instinct may be to turn off the water. By re-touching the faucet that you touched with dirty hands may transfer back onto your hands when you touch it. Try keeping some Clorox Wipes next to the sink. When you are done washing your hand use a wipe to clean off the faucet handles. Make sure that you dry your hands with a clean towel that is only being used for hands. You don’t want to dry your hands on your clothes since there may be dirt and some germs on your clothes from the day’s activities.

Try not to use the same hand towel for more than 4 days, you are just drying you hands to wipe off the dirt from a few days. You want to keep a clean supply on hand.  You should practice this when you are out of the home. There are some situations that may not be the same. If you find yourself in a shopping mall and you need to use the bathroom, try to use the toilet seat covers that are available.

Some stores have automatic flushes but if not, don’t use your hands to flush, try using your foot or some paper towels.Now, you can wash your hands, some stores have touchless sinks, you just use the soap and place your hands underneath the faucet and the water turns on. We have all been in the position where there is no soap. Try to remember to bring some hand sanitizer with you when you go out. This way you can still get the benefit of getting clean hands.

If you are health and hygiene conscious you may want to consider looking into a Touchless Faucet, Delta has the Touch2O faucets where just by touching the top or back of the faucet with a fingertip or the back of your hand can really help you get your hands clean and stay clean.  You may be in the situation when you cannot properly wash your hands and that is why it is important to carry hand wipes or hand sanitizers. With hundreds of people touching faucets, bathroom handles it is a great way to protect yourself from other germs and bacteria left by other people.