Category Archives: Handwashing Saves Lives

Handwashing Saves Lives

Hand Hygiene and Travel

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Travel is a part of life. Some travel out of necessity for work, others for enjoyment, relaxation, or adventure. Whatever your reasons for traveling might be, we can all agree that unexpected interruptions can make for stressful situations of what would have otherwise been a pleasant experience.

While some of what happens while traveling is out of our hands, there are steps we can take to prepare for a seamless trip. Planning ahead can save money and stress. Travel insurance can provide peace of mind. Bringing along a pillow or book can provide the comfort or distraction you seek. And because getting sick while traveling can be miserable, make sure to pay attention to the cleanliness around you.

Avoiding germs during air travel might seem impossible when you consider how many people are spending a few hours together in an enclosed space. You never know who around you might be sick, or the health of the people who just took a flight in what is now your seat. Research has shown the spots to be aware of are the seatback tray table, the seatback pocket, the seatbelt buckles, and the overhead air vent. Marvin M. Lipman, M.D., Consumer Reports’ chief medical adviser, recommends using alcohol-based wipes on each of those surfaces before touching them. He also recommends washing your hands frequently with clean, hot water and soap (which may be more feasible in the airport rather than on the plane).

Whether you’re making plans for spring break or looking ahead to a summer family reunion, make sure to do everything you can to stop germs from traveling with you. Pack the wipes, pack the hand sanitizer, and plan for clean-up stops in restrooms along the way.

 

**For a quick refresher course on the most-effective way to use hand sanitizer, see our 45-second video about GlitterBug Gel.

 

Sources:

http://www.consumerreports.org/airline-travel/9-ways-to-save-money-and-your-sanity-when-flying/

Handwashing Saves Lives, Infection prevention

Handwashing: A History

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The benefits of proper hand hygiene are well-documented. From teaching it to children in schools and homes, to requiring it of employees in health care and food service industries, handwashing is an ongoing topic of discussion in several professional and personal settings.

 

How long have we been doing this? When did humanity begin to learn the importance of hand washing?

 

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In 1847 a Hungarian physician named Ignaz Semmelweis was working at a hospital in Vienna, Austria. Dr. Semmelweis suspected a link between the high incidence of postpartum fever and death among patients, and the interns who cared for those patients…interns who also, as part of their duties, performed autopsies. After having the interns disinfect their hands with a chlorinated lime solution, Dr. Semmelweis saw an immediate reduction in fatal postpartum fever among patients. His findings, however, were met with rejection and ridicule. He was let go from the hospital, and the harassment he received in the Vienna medical community drove him to Budapest. Eventually he was committed to a mental institution, where he died. It wasn’t until 1859, when Louis Pasteur– a chemist, not a doctor– developed his germ theory of disease, that the advantages of handwashing were recognized.

 

Today we know the benefits of handwashing: many transient microorganisms are easily removed with good hygiene practices, and proper hand washing greatly reduces the risk of healthcare associated infections. We know we should wash our hands prior to handling or eating food, after changing a diaper or using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing, after playing outdoors, after playing with animals, and any other time our hands may have been contaminated.

 

Hand washing is most effective when done correctly. While washing hands, many often miss fingertips, thumbs, the backs of hands, and wrists. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends at least 20 seconds of hand washing to remove disease-causing germs.

 

Are you washing your hands effectively? If you need a refresher course, be sure to check out GlitterBug Gel and Potion.

 

Sources:

http://ravallirepublic.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/article_09d6305c-d22e-11e6-9cb9-5336ed144387.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/timelines/z9kj2hv#ztn487h

https://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/08/glitterbug-gel-or-potion-that-is-the-question/

Handwashing Saves Lives

Resolving to Practice Good Hand Hygiene

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Did you make any resolutions for the new year? January is almost over, so let’s check in: how are those resolutions going for you? If the mere thought of it made you slide down in your seat a little bit, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, 41 percent of Americans usually make New Year’s Resolutions, but only 9.2 percent feel they’ve been able to be successful in keeping their resolution.

The good news is, while it’s a trendy tradition to resolve to make improvements at the beginning of the new year, it’s never too late to begin to make positive changes. Of the resolutions mentioned in the survey, the most common types were those related to self-improvement. Health-related goals are at the top of the list. So if you’re looking for a quick way to be successful in sticking to your resolutions, here’s one of the easiest and most important things you can do: resolve to practice good hand hygiene.

As we’ve heard from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), ‘Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick.’ When you avoid contacting and spreading illness, you’re able to tackle those other resolutions (like getting to the gym, right?). Make a family or workplace goal to wash hands regularly so it becomes a habit. Review proper hygiene methods with GlitterBug Gel and GlitterBug Potion.

Healthy living begins with small changes made daily. Commit today to practice good hand hygiene, enjoy better overall health, and move on to those other goals that lead to a better life (and success in keeping resolutions!). Make this new year happy and healthy!

Sources:

http://www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/

https://www.cdc.gov/features/handwashing/

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/08/glitterbug-gel-or-potion-that-is-the-question/

Image: http://www.freeimages.com/photo/washing-hands-1375412

Handwashing Saves Lives

Help for Dry Hands

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Dry hands

Have you noticed your skin getting more dry as the winter weather rolls in? Do you have cracks on your hands or fingers? If so, you’re not alone.

 

“As the seasons change, the environment for the skin is changing. The humidity level is changing,” explains Indy Chabra, a dermatologist at Midlands Clinic in Sioux City, South Dakota.

 

Xerosis (or dry skin) is caused from a loss of too much water or oil in skin. Many factors contribute to xerosis, including age, skin diseases (like eczema), frequent hand-washing, certain medications, and winter weather.

 

For healthy winter skin, apply moisturizer within five minutes of showering, and also before bedtime. A ceramide-based moisturizer (recommended by many dermatologists) can effectively be absorbed to moisturize your skin, but it may take up to seven days to see and feel it working.

 

When washing your hands (or any other part of your body), use lukewarm water and a gentle soap, so as to not dry your skin. Try a hand cream rather than a lotion; apply and let it absorb rather than quickly rubbing it in. (As always, with any soap or moisturizer, if irritation and/or discomfort occur, seek out the care of a health professional.)

 

Humidifiers can help air in homes from becoming too dry, contributing to the effect of winter weather on your skin.

 

Remember to take the simple, daily steps you can to clean and protect your dry skin.

 

Sources:

http://siouxcityjournal.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/moisturizing-key-to-preventing-winter-dry-skin/article_f0848434-d2e6-5b3c-8195-d8aab6e8d482.html

Free image provided by Pexels located at: https://static.pexels.com/photos/286951/pexels-photo-286951.jpeg

Handwashing Saves Lives, Infection prevention

Can Being Cold Make You Sick?

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We bundle up when it’s cold outside so we can stay comfortable by being warm. But does staying warm also contribute to being healthy?

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Prolonged exposure to cold can lead to serious health problems like hypothermia and frostbite. Infants and older adults are particularly susceptible to sickness in winter months. But the common cold is caused by rhinovirus, which replicates more readily at cooler temperatures– like in a nasal cavity, rather than a place closer to a warmer core body temperature.  

 

Ellen Foxman, an assistant professor at Yale University School of Medicine, and her colleagues have embarked on a study to determine whether colder temperatures make the virus more effective or the immune system less effective. Examining the innate immune system (present in every cell) in airways in mice, and in human cells, yielded similar results: at a warmer core body temperature, innate immune pathways blocking viral growth are more active, and an enzyme that degrades the viral genome works better.

 

So go ahead and put that scarf around your nose– the warmth might help you avoid that cold after all. Even more, Foxman recommends washing your hands so germs aren’t transmitted to your eyes, nose, or mouth. She explains, “If the virus isn’t in your nose, it can’t cause infection.”

 

Sources:

http://www.popsci.com/can-being-cold-really-make-you-sick

https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/index.html

Handwashing Saves Lives

Time for Effective Handwashing

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Do you know how long it takes to effectively wash your hands? It’s not something we often think about in our day-to-day routine, but for those who wash their hands as a critical part of their careers, it’s a good idea to pass along a reminder.

The CDC recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds, which is about the time it takes to hum the ‘Happy Birthday’ song twice.

Though it’s important for everyone to wash their hands, those who work in health care or food industries have a crucial responsibility when it comes to hand hygiene.

The GlitterBug Handwash Timer can help to ensure employees are aware of the time it takes– and the time they’re taking– to wash their hands in a busy workplace. It can also keep kids on-task and help them not rush through the process.

Whether you use a timer, or a trick like singing a song or counting to yourself, be sure to take the time you need to effectively wash your hands to prevent the spread of germs and sickness.

 

GlitterBug Handwash Timer

 

Sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

https://www.brevis.com/products/444149/gbtimer-glitterbug-handwash-timer

Hand Hygiene, Handwashing Saves Lives

3 essentials for effective handwashing

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Water.

Soap.

20 seconds.

That’s it.

Wash your hands — often. It’s single most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick. Scrubbing hands and wrists well is a must too, and then a good rinse. That’s all it takes.

Did you know people commonly catch colds when they rub their nose or their eyes after their hands have been contaminated with the cold virus? If you picked up germs from other people or from contaminated surfaces, you’ll get rid of them if you wash your hands well.

So parents–what can you do? Encourage children and others by setting a good example. Wash your hands properly in front of children to teach them that hand washing with soap and water is more than a chore — it’s an important way to prevent colds, sore throats and infections.

 

Hand Hygiene, Handwashing Saves Lives

Sing a Song About Hand-Washing

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Songs get stuck in our heads and we remember all sorts of things, from useless lyrics, to rules of grammar (Schoolhouse Rock, Anyone?). We use a song to teach the alphabet to children, so why not use songs to teach other important information?

Nigerian pop singer Sunny Neji decided to use his influence to help teach people the importance of hand hygiene. “People love music, so if I could construct a lovely melody and put in some memorable words, it could stick in people’s minds faster.”

The result? An upbeat song called, “Wash Your Hands O!”

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Lyrics like, “Prevention is cheaper than cure,” or, “Dirty hands, they carry disease,” will likely make kids and adults smile or even laugh, but you have to admit: the message is clear, and the tune is catchy.

Read more about this song here.

**Reminder: LAST DAYS OF THE BREVIS SALE!
From now through October 31, 2016, use the code “Fall16” to get a 10% discount on orders over $25.00

Sources:

http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/10/14/497701330/some-singers-sing-about-love-he-sings-about-hand-washing

 

 

Hand Hygiene, Handwashing Saves Lives

Happy Hands for Students

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Educators know that keeping hands clean is one of the best things kids can do to prevent illness and the spreading of germs to others. Brevis products like GlitterBug Gel and GlitterBug Potion provide fun ways for kids to learn the effectiveness of handwashing techniques.

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Right now there’s another way to get kids excited about hand hygiene. Deb’s Happy Hands Contest educates students about the importance of handwashing while giving them a chance to show their artistic creativity by submitting original designs to be featured on soap dispensers.

Educators can register their school on the website, and submit their students’ designs by December 5. Top finalists in three categories (elementary, middle, and high school) will be announced January 16, and public voting will be open for one month. Winners will be announced March 1, 2017.

Each winning design receives three prizes: a $500 donation to the winning student’s school, a $200 gift card for the student, and up to 500 soap dispensers to display the winning design in the school.

Getting kids involved in hand hygiene awareness in creative, memorable ways– whether through a dispenser design contest, or a GlitterBug demonstration— is a win for everyone.

 

**SPECIAL NOTE:

Brevis is offering a promo-code discount for Fall 2016 that will start Sept. 20 and go through October 31, 2016.

The promo code is “Fall16” which will apply a 10% discount to orders over $25.00.

 

Sources:

http://info.debgroup.com/happyhands

http://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/

http://www.debgroup.com/us

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/08/glitterbug-gel-a-primer/

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/09/glitterbug-potion/

http://www.brevis.com/blog/2016/08/back-to-school-with-glitterbug/

 

Handwashing Saves Lives, Infection prevention

GlitterBug Potion

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Not long ago we shared a primer on how to use GlitterBug Gel — a great product for measuring the effectiveness of how hand sanitizer is applied. But what about those of us who don’t use hand sanitizer? If you prefer to wash your hands using soap and water, GlitterBug Potion is for you!

gb.potion

We usually think of potion as a substance used in mythology or magic; the stuff of fairy tales and imagination. GlitterBug Potion, however, is a real product used to teach good handwashing technique. The potion consists of a UV fluorescent powder mixed in a special hand lotion.

 

To see how GlitterBug Potion works, apply the Potion as you would any other lotion. Next, wash your hands as you normally would with soap and water. Dry your hands thoroughly, then check under the light (such as the GlitterBug Disclosure Center). Are any areas of your hands glowing? Those are the areas you need to wash more thoroughly.

 

Commonly missed areas include the knuckles, sides of the hands, and fingernail area. Consider using a GlitterBug Hand and Nail Scrub Brush to reach those tough spots.

 

For cleaner hands, a magic wand won’t help you, but GlitterBug Potion will!