NEARLY a third of Australian men and eight per cent of women did not wash their hands after using the bathroom in the food hall of a shopping centre according to an observational study.
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The somewhat unsavoury statistic from the Food Safety Information Council on today's Global Handwashing Day highlights the need for better hygiene practices to combat the risk of good poisoning and other illnesses like norovirus, colds and flu.
According to council chairwoman, Rachelle Williams a telephone survey showed most people knew of the need to use soap when washing hands and then drying them thoroughly on a clean towel.
"We need to take the time to wash our hands with soap and running water and dry thoroughly," said Ms Williams. "We recommend humming the 'Happy Birthday' song through twice to make sure you are washing for long enough."
Some handwashing tips:
- Wet your hands and rub together well to build up a good lather with soap as the suds
- Don't forget to wash between your fingers and under your nails - you might have to use a nail brush
- Rinse well under running water to help carry the bacteria and viruses away
- Dry your hands on a clean towel. touching surfaces with moist hands encourages the contamination from the surface to your hands
- Always wash and dry you hands before touching or eating food, after touching raw meat, fish or chicken, using the toilet, changing nappies, blowing your nose or touching a pet.
