Good Hygiene = Good Health

Facts

• Did you know?• The flu virus can remain active on surfaces for up to 48 hours• One single bacterium can become more than 8 million bacteria

in less than a day• Your kitchen sink contains 100,000 times more germs than your

toilet• Research studies have shown that organisms such as and

Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa are present in home laundry and that 44% of washing machines contain bacteria like E. coli. These can make you seriously ill.

• Use of a hand sanitiser has been shown to reduce illness-related absenteeism in school children by up to 49 per cent.

Poor Hygiene leads to Poor Health

Washing

• According to research from 17 studies the simple act of hand washing reduces the risk of getting a stomach bug by as much as 47%

• A recent Global Survey found that: • The majority of people (53%) said they wash their hands

for 10 seconds or less after using the toilet when the suggested amount of time for washing is 20 seconds.

• Only 3 in 5 people (59%) claim their children ALWAYS wash their hands before eating. A quarter said ‘most’ of the time (26%), 9% sometimes, 2% rarely and 1% never.

When to shower

• EVERYDAY! Especially if you have been doing strenuous exercise or have stinky feet!

Keep Bedrooms CleanKeeping your bedroom hygienically clean is important to stop the

germs growing and spreading.When you should clean:• Immediately... • When someone in the household is ill with vomiting • If a surface is contaminated by vomit, faeces, blood or any bodily

fluid • Whenever they are dirty • Regularly... • When someone in the household is ill with colds and sneezes • When a surface is frequently touched • If someone in the household is ill with diarrhoea

USE A DISINFECTANT OR ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANER (read instructions)

Keep Clothes Clean

Why is laundry hygiene important? • Bacterial transfer can happen between infected and

non-infected clothing • Low temperature washing may not destroy all the

germs and fungal spores. As a general rule of thumb, the lower the washing temperature, water volume and detergent level, the greater the risk of infection.

• Germs can survive in temperatures of 42°C and occasionally even higher.

Stay clean, stay healthy