Thank you all for the amazing response to our previous post, “Dangerous Items You Touch Every Day”. Because you asked for a follow-up post, we are delivering you more helpful tips to warn you about items you are touching unknowingly. Your health, safety, and well-being during this unprecedented pandemic are our utmost concern so we ask you to please read and take these items into serious consideration.
The spread of this horrible, new virus is triggered by a simple transfer of germs to our face. We are touching things all day without thinking about the consequences. Simple repetitive actions become intuitive and automated. In the previous blog we mentioned handrails as an object we grab for balance without realizing we have possibly exposed ourselves to bacteria and germs. You must use those handrails of course, so what we are attempting to do with our blog is to bestow knowledge to everyone. We hope to strike that unconscious chord so you all remember to wash your hands immediately after touching these surfaces that we do not realize we are grasping.
Experts from around the globe are telling us that soap and water are the best frontline defense against this new virus that is ravaging our world. Washing your hands, along with wearing a mask and practicing social distancing will help strengthen your odds against catching this terrible plight we face. If you have not read our article on “properly washing your hands”, please do so HERE. Awareness is key, which is why our previous blog, “Dangerous Items You Touch Every Day”, was such n important read. The more observant you are to your environment, the safer you will be.
As you read this blog, we ask that you take your time with each example below. Spend a moment with each instance and think about how this may affect you. Ponder your own experiences with each scenario. Where you consciously thinking about your hands becoming compromised when you last touched this object? Could you have touched your face afterwards? Did you eat immediately afterwards, touching your food or face in the process? We do not mean to scare you. Our goal is to make you better stewards to your own health and to the health of your family and friends. Please share this blog and what you’ve learned with others.
DO NOT TAKE A QUICK TOUCH FOR GRANTED
You are constantly touching surfaces that could be infected with viruses which cause the flu and other potentially more dangerous sicknesses. So many surfaces are touched constantly as part of your daily routine, so many in fact that you do not think about the actions taking place. Here are 10 more examples of things we touch everyday unknowingly… starting with number 11. To see items 1 through 10, click HERE.
11. GAS PUMPS
You are cruising down the road when you suddenly realize you are extremely low on gas. You rush into a spot and pray you haven’t forgotten your wallet at home. Okay, maybe that is just me… Pumping gas is a weekly task we all must stop and administer. We touch a metal pump handle that a few dozen people have touched within the past hour. This is the main reason that I carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer in my car. You never want to take your hand sanitizer out of the car while at a gas pump. That is extremely dangerous due to the alcohol content. Make a conscious effort to wash your hands as soon as you have finished pumping your gas and you are back in your car.
12. READING GLASSES
You are touching your glasses more often than you realize. A quick adjustment with your finger after your glasses have slid down the bridge of your nose and you’ve transferred germs and bacteria to your glasses. Be sure and keep your glasses clean using the cleaning solution your eye doctor recommends. If your hands are clean and you are not touching any surfaces, you are probably okay. You are also more than likely fine touching your eye glasses as you sit around the house watching television. However, when you are out and about in the real world, those quick touches to your glasses are dangerous.
13. COPY MACHINE
Are you one of the fortunate ones who still go into the office everyday like me? How careful were you when you made that last copy or scanned that last document? There are a lot of people in the office using that copy machine and that control panel is full of germs. One option here is to take a scrap sheet of paper to shield your hands when opening the tray or as you press the copier's buttons. If you do find yourself pressing any buttons with your bare finger, wash your hands immediately afterwards.
14. STAPLER
So long as we are hanging out at the copy machine, let’s consider the stapler. Most offices use a heavy-duty metal stapler. Metal surfaces appear to hold this virus longer than other surfaces. Those staplers are used repeatedly throughout the day my nearly everyone in the office. You may be thinking that the “three second rule” should apply, after all you are punching the stapler quickly. How long are you really touching the surface? Answer: Long enough.
15. SINK FAUCETS
You just finished washing your hands and you realize that you now have to turn off the water. The soap, which is the key element in killing the virus, has been washed away. You do not even think as you grab the faucet and turn off the water. Here is what you need to do before you grab the dirty faucet. Before you begin washing your hands, grab a few paper towels and set them aside. Once you are finished washing your hands, dry off with one of the towels. Use the other towel like a glove to grab the faucet and turn it off. Now, use it again to open the door! Dispose of the paper towel responsibly in the trash can when done.
16. GROCERY CART
DO NOT SKIP THIS! I know you are shaking your head because this is an obvious one. NO! This is not. I see people wiping that handle down until the chrome is so incredibly shiny. They all believe they are good to go… and they ARE NOT! There is still 95% of that basket cover in germs. Be ever so careful as you lean on the cart while shopping. Remember this note as well as you place items in the cart and watch where you are placing your hands. Cleaning the handle does not magically erase all of the germs from the rest of the cart.
17. SHOES
Not to be gross, but what have you just stepped in? You know, they should call ALL shoes “track shoes” because whatever you’ve stepped in can be "tracked" on the soles of your shoes. Imagine all the germs and bacteria you’ve picked up. When you get home, pull those shoes off at the door and wash your hands immediately. When you need to leave the house, put on your shoes and wash your hands again. Just to burn this example into your brain… if you touch your shoe with your hands and later touch your mouth, you’ve just put your shoe into your mouth. You wouldn’t do that intentionally, would you? Gross! Go wash your hands.
18. MAIL
The mail travels quite a long distance, making many stops along the way. The delivery services are all taking great measures for your protection. Even with measures in place, we need to be vigilant. I bet the last thing you thought to do after paying those bills was “washing your hands”. It is vital that we wash our hands anytime we touch an object that has been in circulation in environments and situations we do not control. What we can control is our own health and our own well-being.
19. LIGHT SWITCH
You are done for the day and the last thing you do is hit that light switch as you exit your office or room. Maybe it is a reading lamp you’ve powered down. Turning off light switches is one of those actions you make that you do not think twice about. Saving on that light bill has your mind trained and you react unconsciously. I wear long sleeve shirts to the office so when I turn off the lights to my area, I pull my arm into my sleeve and create a barrier between the switch and my hand, like a glove. The sleeve touches the switch and not my hand. Just be careful that you do not use your sleeve later to rub your nose. This virus is jumping from surface to surface. I keep my sleeves rolled up during the day.
20. YOUR FACE
I want to conclude this edition with a strong note regarding your face. Out of all the surfaces we do not want to touch during the pandemic, the number one surface we should remain aware of is OUR FACE. This virus is just waiting to get into our lungs and once it has adhered to our face, we are going to breath in the virus. Then, the damage is done. If you have practiced a good hand washing regimen, you are much safer of course if you accidentally touch your face. Let’s face it, you are going to touch your face. You cannot help it. That is why it is vital that you wash your hands after coming into contact with your environment.
LET’S HEAR FROM YOU!!!
What are we forgetting here? In the comments below, please share items that we are forgetting. What everyday items do we need to warn people about? Together, we can help inform the world, keeping everyone safer. United, we can all prosper through this difficult time.
DO YOU HAVE OVER-WASHED HANDS?
As you struggle to fight off the flu with constant hand washings, you face another dilemma, dry and cracked skin. Soaps, especially alcohol-based hand cleaners, dry out your skin, leaving them craving moisture. What if there was a way to protect your skin and keep it moisturized even during frequent hand washings? Well, you can! Coat your hands with Workman’s Friend Barrier Skin Cream to form a protective layer around your skin and re-apply every four hours. The barrier protection will moisturize your hands from beneath the protective layer. The barrier protection will shield you hand from harmful chemicals, dirt and grime. The barrier protection binds to your live skins cells and will only be removed when your skin cells die and shed every four hours. In the meantime, your skin is moisturizing from the inside and healing your dry and cracked skin. Workman’s Friend Barrier Skin Cream is the perfect combatant for over-washed hands. PURCHASE HERE.
Another option for over washed hands is Workman’s Friend Healing Hand Cream. Add this hand cream to your daily regimen for healthy, stored hands. An application in the morning and again before bedtime will help your skin survive those frequent hand washings unscathed. Workman’s Friend Healing Hand Cream will moisturize and heal your dry, cracked, and damaged skin. When used over time, your skin will return to its once healthy appearance. PURCHASE HERE.
Sometimes you just need a hand cleaner that revitalizes your skin. Try Workman’s Friend Hand Cleaner with Activated Charcoal to get a deep clean and feel fresh afterwards. The activated charcoal cleans deep into your skin, detoxing away the bad elements that hard-working hands pick up on an active day. Unlike other hand cleaners, Workman’s Friend Hand Cleaner with Activated Charcoal hydrates your skin as it cleans, leaving them feeling alive and fresh while other hand cleaners leave your hands feeling dry. PURCHASE HERE.
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