This is the way we wash our hands

Hand washing is one of the most important and yet one of the simplest things we can do to protect our family from germs. It is the first line of defence against the spread of many nasty diseases from the common cold to flu to hepatitis A.

For this reason it is really important to teach our children the importance of hand washing.  Freddy's class at school did some lessons on hygiene where he learned all about germs and about how to effectively wash his hands. This has made him so much keener to wash his hands before eating, after playing outside and after going to the toilet.

Hand washing for children really is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1: Wet hands under running water and rub soap all over hands, not forgetting between the fingers, for at least the count of 30.

2: Rinse away the soap thoroughly using warm water.

3: Dry hands using a clean towel.

For adults, hand washing is equally important, especially when cooking or preparing food, and some foods can leave your hands smelly, such as garlic, which is hard to shift.

Using the right hand soap is important. Choosing an antibacterial soap can help kill germs effectively when washing hands. Soap dispensers can be a good investment and the novelty of having squirty soap can be a good encouragement for children to wash their hands. Dettol do a great refillable No-Touch Hand Wash System that dispenses a measure of liquid soap into your hand when detected by the sensor. We received one to test out. As it is a no-touch system it never comes into contact with bacteria keeping it hygienically clean. The liquid soap is effective against food smells too, making it perfect for kitchen use. We tried one out and it works really well. The citrus soap is antibacterial and moisturising with a lemony fragrance.  You can switch the sensor off so you don't accidentally dispense soap every time you get near it!

Keeping kitchen counters and work surfaces clean and germ free is also really important to maintain a hygienic home. Using an anti-bacterial surface cleanser or antibacterial wipes, is a quick and convenient way of keeping the kitchen free from harmful germs and the spread of illnesses in the home. Dettol's Antibacterial Power and Pure Sprays kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses including E coli, salmonella, MRSA and flu viruses, while leaving no harsh chemical residue behind.

Following these basic rules on hand washing really can help protect the family from the spread of germs and potentially harmful illnesses.

Harmful Bacteria Found on 1 in 4 Items of Washed Clothes!!

With so many of us using cool wash programs for our laundry, it is a disgusting fact that a quarter of our washed laundry items contain bacteria related to faeces!  Germs are just being swished around in the washing machine creating a bacteria soup that is soaking into our washing.  Ewww!  This means that our 'clean' clothes are often harbouring  potentially dangerous bugs.

Washing clothing in a hot wash is expensive, environmentally unfriendly and damaging to some fabrics, so what is the solution?  How can we kill the germs?

Dettol has a new anti-bacterial Laundry Cleanser which kills 99.9% of bacteria, even at low temperatures.

Putting two capfuls into your fabric softener drawer ensures that the bacteria is killed, even at low temperatures, keeping our families clothing hygienically clean, avoiding contamination and possible infection.  I have been sent a bottle to try out.  It has a Fresh Cotton  fragrance, which is a pleasant and light scent making the laundry smell fresh.  It's easy to use (although you must avoid contact with skin when in it's neat form as it's an irritant) and if we get into the habit of popping it in a wash, we can be confident that we are not transferring germs through the laundry process.  It's really useful when washing towels, underwear, bedding and heavily soiled garments. When using the cool wash economy settings on the washing machine for the family's laundry, I think it's better to be safe than sorry!

                            

A 1.5 litre bottle costs around £4.00 from good supermarkets.