Protect your hands!
Tiff’s Cleaning Angels know the importance of cleaning your home- no one wants sticky floors, dusty carpets or even streaky windows. Ideally, your home is given the best care and is squeaky clean, however after all that scrubbing, spraying and wiping, has the health of your hands ever occurred to you?
There are many issues your hands face while cleaning, for instance, dirt. It’s easy not to think about the amount of dirt your hands are exposed to given how much filth you encounter, no one can exactly blame you for trying to ignore it. Moreover, you’re more focused on the cleanliness of your house rather than your hands, so the thought might not even cross your mind. Once that dirt is on your hands, it goes wherever you go. It gets spread to door handles, drawers, cupboards, food and even your face- regardless to say, it’s important to wash this dirt off properly. However, this is only part of the issue.
Germs and bacteria are also a problem. Encountering these is inevitable when you are cleaning, however they are far less obvious than dirt, and can even pose a larger threat to your skin! If left on your hands, these germs and bacteria could easily cause and spread infection around your house, hence it is crucial to thoroughly disinfect after cleaning. Surprisingly, this isn’t even the last of your concerns.
During all that cleaning, the frequent contact with chemicals can also be very damaging for your hand health. Floor and window cleaners, preservatives, ammonia, degreasers; so many cleaning products that you will use can dry out and irritate your skin. Your hands will go through thick and thin to ensure your house is sparkling clean- needless to say, it is crucial to keep your hands protected from these obstacles, and the most effective method is a structured hand care routine.
There are three crucial moments for the treatment of your hands, the first being the application of protective cream before cleaning. Protective creams form a layer of protection on your skin, like a shield. They can reduce contact with certain cleaning chemicals, keep your skin moisturised and even make your hands quicker and easier to clean. The second important step is to clean while you clean. While this might sound confusing at first, what this essentially means is to frequently clean your hands throughout. You can simply use water and soap, or even hand sanitiser when the former is unavailable. It’s vital to note, whatever products you use to clean your hands, they must be gentle on the skin and improve skin hydration to ensure your hands are healthy and comfortable for the whole day. Finally, after a long day’s work and the house has never been cleaner, your last step would be to apply restorative cream. This will essentially allow your hands to kick back and relax- this will moisturise, nourish and condition the skin, strengthen it and prevent it from becoming dry or damaged.
Surprisingly, after all your hands go through, this is all it takes to take good care of them! If you follow this routine, while your house will be gleaming and glowing, your hands will be even cleaner!