Pireka. Cleaning and hygiene goods

HAND WASHING

Hand washing is a common, but very important personal hygiene procedure. We wash our hands not only to get them clean but also to protect ourselves and others from infectious diseases. Health and hygiene specialists recognize that hand washing is one of the most important means to prevent the spread of infection.

How to wash hands?

Soapy hands are rubbed together on all surfaces and then rinsed with stream of water, this way soil and transient microorganisms are removed. In order to protect hands from bacteria, antiseptic soap is used to wash hands or disinfecting solutions are rubbed in. 

Transient microorganisms are not constantly present on our hands and are easily removed by ordinary hand washing. But another kind of microorganisms, called resident microorganisms or colonizing flora, permanently reside on the skin and are not easily washed away.

When to wash hands?

First of all we wash hands when we see they are dirty, but the need for hand washing depends on environment. Health care workers or people preparing food should wash them more often.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS

In health care hand washing is critically important. Hands of health care workers can carry bacteria, viruses and fungi that may be infectious to themselves and others. How often to wash hands health care workers should judge depending on: 

• Frequency of contact with patients;
• Degree of contamination that is likely to occur;
• Patient’s susceptibility to infection;
• Procedure to be performed.

Health care workers should wash their hands with soap and water in the following cases:

• Before and after contact with a patient, especially if there was a contact with mucous membranes, secretions, excretions, blood and body fluids;
• After contact with a source of microorganisms;
• After taking off gloves.

Disinfecting solutions should be used in such cases:

• Before performing invasive procedures;
• If antimicrobial effect on hands is necessary for a longer time;
• If it is necessary to reduce the number of transient and resident microorganisms.

During general patient care it is recommended to use ordinary not antiseptic soap.

Hand washing technique:

Wet your hands with warm running water.

Apply hand cleanser over all surfaces of hands.

Vigorously rub hands together for 10 – 15 seconds on all surfaces, do not forget back of the hands, fingers, thumbs and beneath nails. Use a nailbrush, if necessary.

Thoroughly rinse hands to remove soap. Dry hands with a disposable hand towel that gets out of dispenser one at a time. (If the hands are incompletely dry and there is soap left on them, the risks of dermatitis increase).

If you have to turn off the tap, use a paper hand towel to avoid recontamination of hands.

If a disinfecting solution is used, thoroughly rub it in and allow to penetrate to the skin.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FOOD SERVICE WORKERS

Food service workers should wash their hands and exposed parts of arms every time before preparing food and working with clean dishes and instruments as well as: 

• After contact with human body;
• After using a bathroom;
• After touching support or aquatic animals;
• After sneezing or coughing, using a handkerchief or disposable tissue, eating, drinking or smoking;
• After working with soiled equipment and instruments;
• During food preparation when soiling from hands should be washed before changing tasks to avoid cross contamination;
• When switching between working with raw food and ready-to-eat food;
• After any other activity which leaves soiling on hands.

Food service workers are recommended to wash hands and exposed parts of arms the following way:

• Wet your hands, apply the hand cleanser and rub the hands together on all surfaces for about 20 seconds;
• Pay a special attention to fingers and beneath nails;
• Thoroughly rinse hands under running water. Dry hands with a paper towel that comes out from dispenser one at a time (If the hands are incompletely dry and there is soap left on them, the risks of dermatitis increase).

Attention! Do not wash hands in a sink used for food preparation, service or cleaning.

Gloves and hand washing

Gloves protect hands from skin-born microorganisms. However contamination is possible even if gloves are used. For example, creams and lotions that contain petroleum can cause deterioration and increase permeability. Thus, hands should be washed even if gloves are used. Moreover, hands should be washed when gloves are taken off or when their reliability is in doubt.

Kinds of hand cleansers

There are various kinds of hand cleansers available: plain soap, antiseptic soap and disinfecting solutions. Different cleanser has a different effect on hands.

Plain soap can be in a bar, liquid or powder form. It is used for primary removal of soiling and microorganisms. Plain soap takes away transient bacteria, but does not kill bacteria released by shedding of skin cells. Plain soap is used for hand washing if unless indicated otherwise. 

Antiseptic soap contains agents that kill microorganisms and inhibit their activity on the skin. Antiseptic soap is suitable for such cases when a longer antimicrobial effect is necessary, during procedures or when there is no possibility to wash hands. 

If disinfecting solutions are used no water or towels are necessary, but they are applied after hands are washed and dried not as a replacement. They are comfortable to use and give a fast antiseptic or disinfecting effect. It is not recommended to use disinfecting solutions hands are dirty.

Dispensers of hand care products

It is recommended to place bars of soap on racks with good drainage. Empty racks should be carefully cleaned as they can be contaminated. Dispensers of hand cleansers should be mounted in convenient to reach areas with a handle that could be pressed with a wrist or elbow to avoid contamination of hands and dispenser. Paper towels should be dispensed one at time so that only one person would touch a towel one will use.

HOW COLOURS HELP TO KEEP HYGIENE

Different colour cleaning articles is a simple but effective way to keep hygiene and cleanliness.

Everyday tasks require cleaning various surfaces – a table you prepared food on, a sink, kitchen equipment or a washroom. If a sponge that was used for cleaning raw meat remains will be used to clean ready to eat food chopping board and a cloth for cleaning dish washing sink will be used to clean a bathroom the risk of cross contamination arise. Colour coding of cloths, sponges or brooms effectively prevent it. These cleaning articles are made four different coloures: blue, red, yellow and green. Every colour has its own cleaning area, for example: blue colour items are used for cleaning tables and red colour items – for cleaning washrooms. When a chosen colour cloths or other cleaning items are used for only one kind of cleaning tasks transmission of soiling from one area to another is avoided. Such colour coding is called four colour system Quattro.

Coulorful cleaning articles were accustomed very fast and are very popular among food processing and catering companies. Quatro is a simple and convenient system that protects yours and your clients’ health and hygiene.

The four colour system Quattro is useful because:

• Clear colour signal does not allow to forget which area one or another cleaning article should be used at;
• It is easier and simpler to enforce hygiene;
• The system is easily adapted in any sphere or enterprise;
• A safer environment is assured, the risk of cross contamination is reduced.