Disinfection and Hand Hygiene in Schools

Following proper hygiene practices are essential for maintaining better health. The pandemic brought new ways of living by changing human behaviour as people started to pay closer attention to their personal hygiene. 

Not to harm others, public spaces were responsible for coming up with and enforcing their own rules for hygiene and disinfection. In particular, people started to follow proper hygiene practices in educational organizations, such as universities and schools. 

It’s not that easy to ensure that students have enough awareness to follow their hygiene. And as students use their hands to open books and take school supplies most of the time, it’s essential to make sure that they are educated enough for following good hygiene practices in schools.  

What is Hand Hygiene?

Hand hygiene means cleaning your hands thoroughly to remove bacteria and germs from them so that you will not get sick because of touching your mouth, nose, or eyes with dirty hands. Additionally, to avoid causing a chain reaction of bacteria and disease spread. 

Importance of Hand Hygiene in Schools

Here are some essential points to understand the importance of hand hygiene in schools. 

  • It ensures students’ and teachers’ better health and wellbeing.
  • It makes students and staff attend schools properly.
  • It builds a school’s credibility by helping parents understand that your staff does their best to protect students. 
  • It removes bacteria and germs from the hands.
  • It prevents illness from spreading.

Hand Hygiene in Schools

There are two primary ways to follow hand hygiene practices in schools — hand washing and hand sanitising. 

Hand Washing

It’s essential to wash hands for at least 20 seconds. Hand washing with soap and water is one of the most effective ways to remove germs from hands as it not only cleans one’s hands from dirt but also can reduce diarrheal illnesses by 30%. 

Thus, hand washing is an essential habit that students, teachers and school staff should follow. Washing hands with soap and water can reduce germs from hands much more effectively than just using water. With that in mind, you can opt for purchasing high-quality hand soap & skincare products for your school. 

After washing hands, it’s essential that students and school staff dry their hands thoroughly by using hand dryers. When people touch door handles with wet hands, their hands can transfer germs to the surface of those handles, spreading bacteria. Custodians should make sure that washrooms have sufficient levels of soap and paper towels to promote hand hygiene practices in schools. 

Hand Sanitising  

Hand sanitisers in schools are essential for reducing the number of germs and prevent the growth of microorganisms. These sanitisers are a quick way to kill germs from hands, but effective sanitisers should have at least 60% alcohol in them. However, people should know that hand sanitisers in schools do not kill all types of viruses. 

Whenever soap and water are not available, students and school staff should use hand sanitisers. Cleaning staff can put hand sanitisers in places where soap and water are not at hand’s reach, such as in cafeterias, classrooms and near frequently touched public places like next to doors, faucets, etc. Custodians should bring hand sanitisers to schools to create a healthier environment for school people. 

Cases to Apply Hand Hygiene in Schools

Here are only some examples of when students and teachers should follow hand hygiene in schools:

  • After using washroom facilities
  • After touching frequently used items
  • After coughing and sneezing 
  • Before eating lunch
  • After playing outside
  • After gym
  • After touching dirty items such as chalk

Disinfection in Schools

After understanding the importance of hand hygiene in schools, let’s talk about disinfection which is another way to apply good hygiene practices in schools.  

Custodians should disinfect and sanitise frequently touched objects at schools such as doorknobs, faucet handles, tables, chairs, light switches, toilet seat and flusher, etc. 

Regular cleaning of washrooms is essential in keeping students’ and staff’s health. Thus, school cleaning staff should take measures for cleaning toilets and sinks thoroughly to prevent any spread of viruses and germs. If you need professional cleaning and toilet seat care services for your school, you can opt for Hyex. 

Teaching Hand Hygiene in Schools 

Schools should take some essential steps for promoting good hygiene practices in schools.

  • Organize hand hygiene lessons that can educate students to wash hands thoroughly and use hand sanitisers for schools. In this way, you can ensure that students know the importance of hand hygiene in schools. 
  • Put visuals like hand washing posters in the most visible places (e.g. washrooms, cafeteria kitchens, etc.) to educate hand hygiene in schools. 
  • Make hand hygiene facilities available and at hand’s reach.
  • Keep washrooms clean and ensure that bathrooms have a pleasant scent as it can encourage following hand hygiene in schools. 

Now you know how essential it is to promote hand hygiene in schools and protect students’ and school staff’s health. If you need any help to get hand sanitisers for schools or high-quality hand soap and skincare products, you can always opt for Hyex

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