Take Your Future Safety Into Your Hands on Global Handwashing Day

One of the best ways to protect yourself from germs—both in a pandemic and during regular times—is to wash your hands. We hear so many reminders about handwashing it becomes easy to tune out. 

Global Handwashing Day (GHD), commemorated October 15, serves as a yearly reminder that handwashing with soap and water is one of the best steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. This year’s theme, “Our Future is at Hand —Let’s Move Forward Together,” highlights the critical role hand hygiene plays in disease transmission, especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

GHD was founded in 2008 by the Global Handwashing Partnership, a coalition of international organizations including academic institutions, government agencies, private sectors, and community groups. The day provides an opportunity to design, test, and replicate creative ways to encourage people to wash their hands with soap at critical times. It also calls for institutions and individuals to improve hand hygiene efforts in the COVID-19 response that can outlast the pandemic and ensure continued access to clean water and soap.

Handwashing with soap destroys the outer membrane of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, inactivating it, according to a GHD fact sheet. Hand hygiene has the potential to interrupt several routes of COVID-19 transmission, such as removing the pathogen from contaminated hands before it is transferred to other people or surfaces, or removing the pathogen from hands after they have made contact with a contaminated surface or person. 

Instilling good handwashing habits is important even when the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Keeping hands clean can prevent one in three diarrheal illnesses and one in five respiratory infections, such as a cold or the flu, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Do your part to stop the spread of germs among your employees and in your facilities. Visit globalhandwashing.org/resources to find fact sheets, infographics, social media kits, and other handwashing resources for your facility or company.

In recognition of GHD, SC Johnson Professional has shared a series of tips to promote proper handwashing protocols in the workplace.

• Wash and dry correctly. The CDC recommends washing with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. Drying hands after every wash is important to avoid germs latching onto wet hands. After drying, use a disposable paper towel to grab the restroom door handle to avoid transmitting germs onto clean hands.
• Choose products wisely. Select a soap with a mild preservative to reduce the risk of skin irritation. Look for products that have been dermatologist tested to verify they have low allergenic potential and are designed for people with sensitive skin.
• Don’t forget to moisturize. In addition to using a hand wash containing skin conditioners, apply moisturizer after frequent handwashing. Choose lotions with enriched skin conditioning formulas that contain emollients, conditioners, and moisturizers to help the skin retain moisture and flexibility, protect against cracking, and improve the feel of skin.

“We are dedicated to helping organizations enhance their hand hygiene programs through our trusted products and educational resources,” said Mike Flagg, head of SC Johnson Professional’s North American business. “By following best practices, and using the right products at the right time, organizations can help break the chain of infection.”