Preventing disease and infection control
Germs are all around us. But don’t panic, most of them are completely harmless. Some even do us good, like the bacteria in our gut that aid digestion. The important thing is to protect our families from the germs that can cause bacterial diseases and other infections.
How do germs spread?
Harmful bacteria and other germs can be carried into the home in or on people and pets, or in contaminated food and water.
How they spread is partly down to us. Cleaning contaminated surfaces without proper hygiene (such as a cloth that isn’t cleaned regularly) can quickly spread these germs to other areas. Without knowing it, we can also pick up germs on our hands as we go about our day. They can then be spread to anything we touch until the next time we wash our hands.
Likewise, if a person has a viral illness like the flu, tiny droplets of moisture from their mouth can carry germs into the air when they cough, sneeze or even just breathe. These can contaminate any surface that they land on, or infect other people by being breathed in.
This is what we call the chain of infection – harmful bacteria and other germs being accidentally passed from one person to the next and causing infection. Thankfully, the chain can be broken.
Breaking the chain of infection:
The best way to stop the spread of germs is through good hygiene. Here are some ways to help:
- Wash your hands regularly – especially before eating, before and after preparing food, and after coughing, sneezing or using the toilet or changing a nappy
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Put any used tissues straight in the bin and wash your hands
- Handle and prepare food safely. Clean your hands and surfaces regularly, separate raw and cooked foods, cook food thoroughly and chill fresh & cooked foods to slow the growth of bacteria
- Vaccinations (or immunisations) are a great way to protect from serious infection. Make sure your family is up to date with their vaccinations recommended by your health care professional
- Clean and disinfect surfaces regularly – especially food contact surfaces and regularly touched surfaces such as taps, door handles and telephone keypads
Clean or disinfect: What’s the difference?
Cleaning means removing dirt and some germs, usually with a detergent and a thorough rinse with hot running water. For many small items (such as cutlery and crockery), this is enough to make them safe to use.
Disinfecting means and killing most of the germs present. This is important for larger or fixed surfaces where thorough rinsing isn’t possible (such as work tops, toilets, sinks and telephone handsets). Regularly disinfecting the surfaces of your home is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of harmful germs and bacteria.
Remember, even in a clean home harmful bacteria can still find their way in. Explore our site for further information on common illnesses and our advice if you or your loved ones get poorly.
ITEMS FOR MAKING
5LITRES DETTOL
Materials Needed
|
measurements
|
1. Chlorophenol
|
100g/1
milk cup
|
2. Texapon
|
6 table
spoons
|
3. pine oil
|
1/2litre
/3milk cups
|
4. Water
|
2⅟2litres
|
5. I.P.A (isopropyl alcohol)
|
2⅟2litres
|
6. Colour
|
To your
taste
|
PROCEDURES
1. Get a dry
bowl
2. Pour your
chlorophenor powder in the bowl
3. Add texapon
4. Add 2 milk
cups of I.P.A and turn until it dissolves very well
5. Add your pine
oil and mix it very well
6. Add water
and mix it very well
7. Add I.P.A
again and mix it very well
8. Add 2 pinch
of dettol colour
9. Then leave
it for 1 hour before packaging
Pls, do not add anything again like
water.
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How to wash your hands
When was the last time you thought about how you wash your hands? You’ve been doing it all of your life – but have you been hand washing correctly?
Did you know that to wash your hands thoroughly, you'll need to take around 30 seconds to a minute, or roughly the time to sing "Happy Birthday" twice, to get them properly clean? You may not want to sing it out loud, but it's a handy reminder for you to take the time you need to wash your hands!
Good hand hygiene can significantly reduce the spread of harmful bacteria that can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting and other infections. Follow these 8 steps to perfect your hand washing technique.
Good hand washing technique
- Wet hands with clean warm running water
- Apply a small amount of soap - 2 pumps of dettol hand wash
- Rub your palms together (away from the water)
- Rub your fingers and thumbs and bits in between
- Rub your nails on your palms
- Rub the back of each hand
- Rinse with clean running water
- Dry with a clean towel or paper towel
With so much going on, it’s easy to forget about washing hands. So try to make it a routine so you get into the habit. Leave yourself a note, set a reminder on your phone, or write out this list until it sticks.
Kitchen hygiene and hotspots
Know the germ hotspots in your kitchen
Many families spend most time together in the kitchen. It’s also a popular place for bacteria to be found. In fact, most cases of food poisoning are picked up in the home rather then outside it, as a result of poor food and kitchen hygiene in the home. So what can you do to prevent the spread of harmful bacteria?
You don’t need to blitz everywhere, but there are some key germ hotspots that need cleaning more than others to ensure kitchen safety is at its best.
Top germ hotspots in the kitchen
Cloths or sponges
If cleaning cloths are left damp, bacteria can rapidly grow in them. These bacteria can be spread to other objects and surfaces throughout the kitchen when the cloths or sponges are subsequently used. Either use disposable cleaning cloths or decontaminate re-useable cloths and sponges by soaking in a solution of Dettol Disinfectant .
Food contact surfaces
Worktops and cutting boards can easily become contaminated with bacteria from raw food such as meat, poultry, salad items, fruit and vegetables. Raw and ready to eat food should be kept separate, ideally using different coloured chopping boards for each. All surfaces should be cleaned and disinfected after use and the hands should be washed thoroughly afterwards.
Frequently touched surfaces
There are a number of surfaces in the kitchen that can represent a potential route for the transmission of germs. Before preparing food, you should still wash your hands with soap even if they are not visibly dirty. You should disinfect surfaces regularly as they may be contaminated by contact with dirty hands that have picked up bacteria from raw foods. Some frequently touched surfaces in the kitchen include:
- Internal surfaces of the fridge, freezer and cooker
- Doorknobs and drawer handles
- Worktop benches
- Taps
Sinks
Can become contaminated if raw food (e.g. Poultry, raw fruit, salad items and vegetables) are rinsed in the sink to clean it prior to meal preparation. Also rinsing contaminated items such as kitchen sponges and cleaning cloths or using these to clean the sink will add to the bacteria contamination. Surfaces of sinks and surrounding areas including taps should be regularly disinfected with Dettol Antibacterial Surface Cleanser
Rubbish bin
The rubbish bin is another hot-spot for germs. Use a bin with a lid to stop access by pets and pests and to reduce odours. Empty, clean and disinfect regularly with Dettol Disinfectant Spray, not forgetting to clean and disinfect the handles and lids.
Don’t forget to wash your hands
The hands are one of the most important causes of cross contamination and cross infection in the home. When using the kitchen be sure to wash your hands with soap before and after preparing food and before eating.
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