“Make sure you’re not making common hand-washing mistakes”

NHS Choices emphasise the importance of soap and water – used properly

It seems that handwashing isn’t as straightforward as people think, but appropriate techniques and time spent on the task are often overlooked, rendering the whole process of limited value, according to a recent report on the Birmingham Mail website.

The article by Caroline Jones and James Rodger points out that although, on the face of it, handwashing is a relatively straightforward task, “it isn’t” – at least according to NHS Choices.

At least 20 seconds

Washing your hands should take at least 20 seconds, according to the advice given (cited as the amount of time it takes to sing “Happy birthday” twice). The article and NHS Choices both highlight The World Health Organization’s (WHO) 12 step infographic Clean hands protect against infection.

The WHO emphasises that washing with soap and water is preferable to the use of gels, which should be used only if the former isn’t available.

“Wash your hands with soap and water, and dry them thoroughly. Use alcohol-based handrub if you don’t have immediate access to soap and water.”

The report also quotes a consultant epidemiologist at Public Health England, Professor Jeremy Hawker, who is reported as saying

“Unfortunately, not all people consistently wash their hands after going to the toilet or before handling food.

“Washing your hands with soap and water is sufficient to remove dirt, viruses or bacteria and it can reduce the risk of diarrhoea by nearly 50%.”

We’ve all been washing our hands wrong – here’s how the NHS says you should do it »

Mobile hand wash units for caterers – that need no external water supply

TEAL hand wash portable sinks are the perfect solution for the food-related and catering industries. Two models in particular the Handeman Xtra Portable and the WashStand (shown below) are idea for mobile food outlets – they need no external water supply.

Just fill up the tanks with clean water from any suitable container and get washing!

Ideal for all catering related businesses such as Street Food suppliers, retailers, farmers’ markets and kiosks, outside catering, fast food outlets, ice cream vendors, coffee kiosks, sandwich bars and all other forms of mobile catering. TEAL hand wash units are also perfect for customers who use your facilities.

The TEAL range of mobile sinks for caterers »

The TEAL WashStand – wheel it to where you want it!