Hand Washing

[man in a white coat]

This came up in another thread and I thought it warranted one of its own.

UNICEF reckons that poor hand hygiene is a bigger cause of child mortality than all others in the developing world.

In the UK the risk of mortality is low but there are plenty of nasties out there to deal with so here are some handy tips:

Do not use anti-bac soaps normal soap is better - it prevents bacteria resistant strains.
If you have a pump soap use a foaming one - it uses 80% less soap, does the same job and is more fun.:clapping:
Ensure that children understand the importance of washing between fingers, around wrists and nails.:thumbsup:
Change hand towels frequently - one pair of poorly washed hands = potential infection on towel = cross infection, no matter how well you washed your hands (single use cloth or paper towels - dependent on your environmental stance - are best).
Wash hands before and after food - kids put their hands in their mouth, if they have something they will then pass it on to others.
Also wash hands after toilet, outdoor play, contact with farm or wild animals.
Do not use alcohol hand sanitisers (even though the NHS do:angry:) They dry the skin, are a fire hazard and do not kill norovirus.
The Scottish NHS have a great resource:

http://www.washyourhandsofthem.com/campaign/campaign_childrenspack.html

Well worth a visit and lots of downloadable posters, etc.

Iain

[Mollymop]

Yes, thanks Iain

[avril]

That's a great website thankyou.

Avril x:)

[Tatia]

Thanks Iain! As someone suffering from her third cold in a row (thanks to little germ magnets I look after), I appreciate this information!


Do not use anti-bac soaps normal soap is better - it prevents bacteria resistant strains.
It's almost impossible to find any sort of handsoap or washing up liquid or cleaner that is not anti-bac these days. I purposely search for them, too.

I was thinking about finding that stuff you put on your hands that glows in the dark to show where you haven't washed hands propoerly? My daughter did it when she did a food and hygiene course at school. I thought the kids would not only enjoy it but learn from it!

[Blaze]

Never heard of that Tatia...if you find it..post a link!
Tasha:)

[man in a white coat]

Tatia - it is called a Digiglow box. I am trying to source a cheap one so we can use it in the nurseries for staff and children. The really cheap way is to buy a tube of the flourescent coating which you get the kids to wash off. Then run a bank note/UV scanner over their hands (or a UV bulb in a torch).

I will have a dig around to find a cheap flourescent hand rub and post it when I find it.

Iain

[Banana]

Never heard of not using anti bac soap for hands... how many of you out there use normal soap?

x

[sarah707]

I've started to recently... my ds has developed an allergy to something in the antibac so I did some reading up on it and it seems this is quite common as it dries out skin so much - he has chronic eczema so is dry already!

Anyway, my reading told me I wasn't doing anybody any favours by using antibac so I've changed to a soap free, non-perfumed, non-coloured, pump dispenser one from Tesco for him...

I still use antibac for myself after nappies etc though... I wonder if I'm wrong to be doing that as well?

[man in a white coat]

http://www.sciencedaily.com/videos/2005/1212-fighting_cold_and_flu_germs.htm

This is just one of a number of studies but it may put your mind at rest. After nappies etc, use normal soap and water and if you want some additional protection go for a non alcohol residual hand sanitiser. (There will be one soon through www.cheekyrascals.co.uk)

Iain

[Heaven Scent]

Have anti bac everywhere,DS loo, kitchen, utility room, bathroom, ensuite, will change it as soon as I run out, - thought I was doing the best thing here. Man in a white coat - Iain is there any time when you would recomment anti-bac soap? What about anti-bac washing up liquid.

Celine

[Pipsqueak]

Thank you for the information Iain

[man in a white coat]

Not for hands. You can use it it is fine, but it is only as good as standard soap and there is some risk which there isn't with normal soap but the choice is yours.

As regards washing up liquid same differnce, why pay more? Soap is soap. You pay for two things - the amount of water in it and the TV advertising. Just because it bubbles doesn't mean its effective - bubbles don't clean. The best way to clean is in a dishwasher. The temperature is much hotter than hand wash so is more effective than antibac. I haven't seen an antibac dishwash tablet yet. (I recommend Lidl or Aldi).

Iain

[nell57]

Thanks for the info very interesting:thumbsup:

Helen

[ajs]

hi iain
just playing devils advocate as to be honest i am very interested in what you're saying about anti bac soap.

at my last ofsted inspection they highlighted on my report that i had an awareness of prevention of cross contamination because i use anti bac soap and wash my hand towel regularly. now do ofsted know about the anti bac soap not actually being good for the hands and that soap prevents bacteria resistant strains, because if not then we may be marked down for the fact that we don't use it.

and we all know how inflexible ofsted can be when it comes to change

[Pauline]

hi iain
just playing devils advocate as to be honest i am very interested in what you're saying about anti bac soap.

at my last ofsted inspection they highlighted on my report that i had an awareness of prevention of cross contamination because i use anti bac soap and wash my hand towel regularly. now do ofsted know about the anti bac soap not actually being good for the hands and that soap prevents bacteria resistant strains, because if not then we may be marked down for the fact that we don't use it.

and we all know how inflexible ofsted can be when it comes to change

If they did say anything the best thing would be to say that you have researched the matter and found that your own way is best, quote sources if necessary - they can't know everything and if you can back up your findings then they can't argue can they? If you were marked down because of it you could appeal and quote your findings to the appeal judges! :)

[Pauline]

Never heard of not using anti bac soap for hands... how many of you out there use normal soap?

x

We do. :)

Our son gave us one of those froggy dispenser things that the grandkids had tried and finished with, we re fill it with cheap liquid soap, it foams nicely and the kids love it. :)

[allinatiz]

Thanks Iain, very useful.

I don't use anti bac soap (I have a bit of a thing about anti bac everything!) and if questioned about this at my inspection I might just quote this thread!

[Tatia]

I'm gonna print out articles and create a folder just for OFSTED so I can show them I have done my research if they question it.

All anti-bac does is create super-germs because they grow immunity against it. It'll just get harder and harder to kill them.

[Twinkles]

OMG I use anti-bac everything. I thought I was doing the right thing!!!
I use the anti-bac spray for the worktops and high chairs. I use the anti-bac wipes for the loo as well as the soap :panic:

[miffy]

Thanks for the information

Miffy xx

[ma7ie]

Thanks for the information Iain. I have to admit that I'm a antibac freak. If it can be cleaned it gets an antibac.

Will take your comments on board because I heard the same on the tv sometime last week.

It's just very difficult not to worry when it concerns young children.

I caught Dysentery while in hospital when a small child and was very poorly and maybe as a result am a bit too obsessed. :D

[Pipsqueak]

I guess what we forget is that some bacteria are necessary and we all have some types - we are killing of the "friendly" bacteria (to quote a particular advert) and we are also becoming to sterile that we are not allowing our children to build up their own immunities.

Like the kills 99% of all known germs add - exactly what germs are they then and are the destroying the right ones.....

[Heaven Scent]

Iain do you have any info or links that we could print off to include in our info to support this and then we would be covered.

Celine

[Blaze]

:eek: I admit i'm an anti-bac freak too...will change my products when they need replacing now!:panic: :rolleyes:
Tasha:)

[man in a white coat]

http://www.toyguard.co.uk/pdf/General03_%20handwashing.pdf
http://www.toyguard.co.uk/pdf/General01Goodhygiene.pdf
http://www.toyguard.co.uk/pdf/General02illnesses.pdf

The above links will take you to information sheets on the ToyGuard resource section which will support any questions you have from Ofsted. If they are still not happy then contact me - we are here to support childminders and nurseries, that is what we do.

Iain

[flora]

Never heard of not using anti bac soap for hands... how many of you out there use normal soap?

x

We don't use antibac soap, we also don't use antibac cleaners etc etc. A friend of mine works with terminally ill children and having worked with their parents and listening to what they had to say she stopped using all unnessary cleaners/ bleach etc.

I know with all the marketing etc we are all conditioned to believe the only clean way is to bleach or anit bac something within an inch of it's life. We may be doing more harm than good.

Not 100% proven but why risk it.

[Pauline]

OMG I use anti-bac everything. I thought I was doing the right thing!!!
I use the anti-bac spray for the worktops and high chairs. I use the anti-bac wipes for the loo as well as the soap :panic:


My Gran always used to say "We'll all eat a peck of dirt before we die"

[angeldelight]

Yeah Pauline and no one ever came to any harm did they ?

Angel xx

[Splish Splosh]

Thanks for that.

[man in a white coat]

They did, but you didn't have the internet and 24hrs news shouting about it.

E-Coli was first diagnosed 20 years ago
50 Million people globally died in 1918 from Flu
3 Million in 1960 from Flu

There was no such thing as nurseries (Germ factories) when your Grandparents had kids either. Sorry to rant on but someone has to...

[ajs]

i had a child in my care 3 years ago who came down with ecoli poisoning which he had contracted from playing on a beach where cattle passed through.
i was very lucky that he had only been to my setting once for a settling in day before contracting the bug and no one else who was here that day had much to do with him as he was only a baby.

[Rubybubbles]

Thanks for the the information Iian

I use the froggy soap the one that foams (I buy loads when it's cheap:clapping: )

I also don't use Anti bac washin up liquid as I remember reading you shouldn't use it on baby bottle, cups dummies ect, can't remember why but as I only wash these type of things (got dishwasher)

But I am a bit in love with milton spray:o for my surfaces

I

[Pauline]

There was no such thing as nurseries (Germ factories) when your Grandparents had kids either. Sorry to rant on but someone has to...


no just 1 bed with 20 kids in it

[avril]

I use ant bac soap in the kitchen and yes my hands do feel very dry!! So I shall change when I next buy some and then change my handwash policy as this states anti bac soap to protect little hands !!:laughing:

Avril x

[Michelle M]

Thank you for the information :)

Michelle xx

[Amaranth]

My hubby just has his pre-reg visit from ofsted and they said we should be using anti-bac soap (we don't). Wish I'd have seen this thread then! I knew I'd been told about not using it on my food hygiene course but couldn't recall why when she was here :rolleyes:
The guy who took us on the food hygiene course said that the only sure fire way of getting rid of germs was boiling water (not on your hands, obviously:D ) He said that germs just lay down and wait until the surface sprays have evaporated then get back up and start to multiply again. Not a nice thought :panic: