Everyone should practice basic hygiene, but the recent pandemic has bought to light how many people fail to do so. As a child you’re taught to wash your hands, your hair, and body as well as cleaning up after yourself, but how many people let these things slide? It’s not a criticism; it’s very easy to let your dishes pile up in the sink, or simply rinse your hands in water without using soap without thinking. Sometimes you’re too tired or too busy to bother with basic household chores and so on.
However, now more than ever it’s essential to follow these hygiene rules. Below we explore how COVID has prompted everyone to rethink their habits.
Handwashing
As mentioned above, sometimes you might fail to wash your hands properly. Did you always wash your hands when you came home after being to your local store? How long did you keep your hands under running water and massage soap? They say 20 seconds at least, but did anyone count?
It’s not just about washing your hands after you use the bathroom, either, but before you prepare food for meals or even sit down to eat. There was a time when parents told their kids to wash up before dinner, but how many people did this? Now everyone is being more conscious of their handwashing routine. The use of automatic soap dispenser to avoid that contact has increased in businesses and hand sanitizer sales have sky-rocketed.
Covering Your Mouth
Have you ever been standing next to someone who coughs without covering their mouth? It’s gross, but it happens! This pandemic has certainly made people more aware of this nasty habit. Face masks are another thing that has become the norm now, and although they’re not always the most comfortable things to wear, people are still making the effort.
There have been some issues with this, with people feeling shamed if they’re not wearing a mask all the time outside, and others feeling frustrated with those who don’t. Although it might not be compulsory to wear masks every time you leave the house, donning them in stores and on public transport is necessary and they do help prevent the spread of germs as well as COVID-19.
Cleaning
Keeping your home clean and tidy always makes for a better living space, but it’s easy to let these things pile up. Now things are different, as bringing back groceries and other items from the outside world have become a little more complicated. Not knowing who has touched these items before or where they have been are more apparent in people’s minds, and so cleaning up after yourself and keeping your surfaces sanitized is a bigger issue. This is also true for offices — even bars and restaurants have had to up their hygiene game.
Some people have been hit harder by this pandemic than others, but there’s no denying that this hasn’t been a difficult and strange time for everyone. A lot has had to change because of COVID-19 and people practicing better hygiene is just one thing that has come out of this crisis. But overall, that’s a positive change.
