Ever since I started hearing about some strange new coronavirus on the news, my main takeaway has been something I never thought would be worthy of a headline: washing your hands.
Yet, here we are! Washing your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water, for 20 seconds at least (time to bring back that ol’ ABC song!) is the best defense we have against COVID-19. Hand washing is so important, in fact, that the World Health Organization has been celebrating May 5th each year as International Hand Hygiene Day! It is now recognized by the CDC as well.
Hygiene is so important to us at Mighty Well. Not only is our community more vulnerable to infectious diseases like COVID-19, but many of us have medical devices that require a new level of hygiene care! In fact, Mighty Well was created because of the need for a more hygenic way to keep PICC lines safe — and so the PICCPerfect PICC line cover was born!
So, to celebrate Hand Hygiene Day this year:
- Wash your hands thoroughly before cooking/eating meals, and after being in public spaces
- Wear gloves when doing things like grocery shopping
- Avoid touching your face or surfaces likely contaminated
- Clean “high-touch surfaces” like cell phones and door knobs with isopropyl alcohol or disinfectant
- Keep hand sanitizer with you in case you need to clean but don’t have access to soap and water
Want to make it more fun? Consider making your own hand sanitizer or soaps as a crafty activity! This is a great way to engage younger family members in conversations about hand hygiene, and can also be a thoughtful gift to show you’re thinking of someone despite the distance.
As soon as hand sanitizer ran out in grocery aisles, homemade recipes began trending. There are many out there, such as this recipe from Healthline.com. Please remember that hand sanitizer is not as effective as soap, and should only be used when hand washing is not an option.
Soap making can be quite a creative project! You can add color, scents, exfoliants, decorations, and even mold them into fun shapes! To get materials for soapmaking, you can order online or buy from your local craft store — remember to keep your distance by using curbside pickup! Once you have materials, a quick search will bring up countless step-by-step instructions and tutorial videos like this one:
Have fun, get messy, and then scrub for 20 seconds 😉
Did you make some creative soaps and have pictures to share? Do you have a favorite soap recipe? We’d love to hear about it in our Friends in the Fight facebook group!