Why is hand washing so important?

6 April 2016

Bacteria or germs can move easily from one person to another. A person who is suffering from flu covers his nose when he sneezes, and thus might unintentionally spread these viruses through contact or interaction with people or surfaces.

Did you know? By encouraging hand washing, illness can be reduced by 30% to 50%. A single hand can have a population count of over 200 million bacteria per square inch. It only takes seconds for a hand to become contaminated by touch.

We can transmit germs and bacteria in various ways. Such as, close contact with un-well people, contact through contaminated hands, presence of germs and bacteria on surfaces, poor washroom hygiene habits and even spreading germs through food handling. Unfortunately, with busy lifestyle or various distractions faced in our daily activities, some basic hygiene needs tend to be neglected, for example hand washing can be compromised.

When should you wash your hands?

• Before and after eating 
• Before and after handling food preparations 
• Before and after visiting a washroom 
• After a sneeze or cough 
• After handling rubbish or disposing waste and sanitary napkins 

It takes around 20 seconds to wash your hands properly. Download the 8 steps to proper hand washing label here.

Calmic offers various hand care solutions and educational programs in cultivating right hand hygiene. Email to or call our toll free at 0 8001 333 777 or email at [email protected] to find out more.