People’s hygiene standards vary and this is reflected in our respective toilet behaviours. To some, it is okay to avoid washing hands after urinating. This could cause disgust for other users who expect the washing of hands after every visit to the toilet. This divide was glaring before the emergence of COVID-19. With Coronavirus in the world, the argument for or against washing one’s hands after a visit to a designated public facility is defeated. Washing our hands is now a necessity for preventing the spread of the virus. We understand hand sanitisers could be an option in cases where the washing of hands is impossible. Before Coronavirus, we easily run some water on hands and dash out of the public toilet in seconds. It was a brisk and a self-fulfilling hand washing habit. The current times have called for a thorough hand washing process that is advised to last for at least 20 seconds.
The gold standard for washing our hands
Do you know there is a right way to wash our hands? As with other things in life, there is a right and wrong way to wash our hands after using a public toilet to prevent the spread of Coronavirus. The gold standard involves rubbing our hands properly with soap and clean water for a minimum of 20 seconds. Scientists advise that the cheap soap by a public or private toilet sink is a great antidote of the virus. Toilet soaps contain a combination of molecules which form into elements known as micelles. These bubble-like structures restrain viral organisms and substances such as dirt and oil – and wash them down the drain. Simply put, soap molecules are important in transporting these viruses off of one’s hand and down the toilet drain. To achieve a complete clean of our hands, we are expected to wash for 20 seconds. Brisk washing of fewer than 20 seconds might fail to completely wash our hands off all microbes and biomaterials. Experts say all hand soaps are powerful enough to trap and wash microbes and viral organisms off our hands.
The power of the 20-second hand-washing rule has given many a reason to wash thoroughly. It won’t be strange to notice people spending a longer amount of time washing their hands. There is dedication and focus that goes into the hand washing process in public toilets. There are reminders in some public toilets for users to wash their hands for a minimum of 20-seconds. This plays an important role in people spending more time in these facilities. It is important to adhere to the golden rule when washing our hands in the public toilet to help prevent the spread of the virus.
