Making the World a Healthier Place Starts with Hand Washing

1. Making the World a Healthier Place Starts with Hand Washing The nature of our business affords us the opportunity to work with restaurants and healthcare facilities to provide the clean, hygienic linens they need to serve their customers. As such, we are sensitive to the fact that illness can be easily spread as a result of unhygienic conditions. It is with that knowledge that we are preparing to observe Global Handwashing Day in October. Join us in our efforts to promote regular handwashing. Global Handwashing Day is observed every year on October 15. It is sponsored by the Global Handwashing Partnership, an international coalition of organizations that work together to promote handwashing as a key way to improve health. The coalition exists organizationally as a steering committee and a collection of strategic partners. Steering committee members represent both private enterprise and the public sector. Our observance of Global Handwashing Day will include efforts to explain why handwashing is so critical to hygiene and public health. This post is part of that effort. If you are not sure why handwashing is so important, check out the following five facts from the Global Handwashing Partnership: 1.Preventing Infection– Regular handwashing with soap has been scientifically proven to prevent infection. Handwashing can prevent influenza, pneumonia, diarrhea, respiratory infections, intestinal infections, and more. 2.Cost-Effectiveness– Regular handwashing is a cost-effective way to fight disease by preventing outbreaks before they begin. 3.Everyone Can Do It– Not everyone can go to medical school. But everyone can wash their hands with soap on a regular basis. Handwashing is an easy way to contribute to better public health that is possible for everyone. 4.You Need Soap– Washing your hands with water alone is not enough to prevent disease. You have to use soap. As an added benefit, using soap means you need less water to get your hands clean. 5.Hands Are Germ Carriers– Handwashing is promoted as a way to prevent disease because the hands are known carriers of disease-causing germs. Regular handwashing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs from one hand to another.

2. Handwashing in Your Industry If your company is involved in either the restaurant or healthcare industries, you are already required to follow some fairly stringent rules involving handwashing. As just one example, restaurant workers are required by law to wash their hands in the restroom prior to returning to duty. You can use whatever guidelines exist in your industry to promote Global Handwashing Day along with us. We invite you to visit the Global Handwashing Partnership website at your earliest convenience. There are many helpful resources, including a media kit and a great infographic that you can print and post in various locations on your premises. As you promote regular handwashing, be sure to find ways to make it personal for your employees and visitors. The aforementioned infographic is a great tool for doing just that. It talks about how individuals can contribute to better public health by washing their hands at home, after using the restroom, and so forth. Global Handwashing Day 2018 will be here in just a few weeks. We urge you to consider taking part in this very important day as we seek to improve public health around the world. The more people know about handwashing and how simple and effective it is, the better of a job we will all do to prevent the spread of disease. We believe in the goals of Global Handwashing Day here at Alsco. We hope you do too.