Soap is used around the world mainly for washing, bathing and cleaning. Procter & Gamble and Unilever are leading the list of world’s largest soap producers. No matter, if you buy from these two market leaders, soap supplied by smaller companies will be equally powerful.
A small bar of unsophisticated, simple, cheap soap not only effectively prevents diseases, but can also cut down risks of many health problems such as pneumonia, diarrhea or cholera.
Soap is a powerful disease-fighting tactic. When it comes to children, handwashing with soap can be lifesaving. Unfortunately, the sad thing is that 4 out of 5 people do not wash their hands when coming in our out of the toilet.
That is why I almost never shake hands with other people. It is not because I do not like them, but because I consider it not hygienic as there is 80% chance that they have not washed their hands.
Bar soap or liquid soap?
I personally care a lot about hygiene and always try to wash my hands before eating and every time before and after using the bathroom. I am not perfect at this and sometimes forget to do it, but I do my best to be as systematic as possible.
My preference is for a bar of soap rather than liquid soap because of environmental reasons.
While bar soaps are often wrapped in coated paper, liquid soaps usually come with plastic containers that require more energy for raw material and packaging production than bar soaps do.
Also, when it comes to shopping, I try to be extremely practical. Bar soaps are simply cheaper, smaller and easier to carry.
Benefits of washing hands
I think that promoting healthy handwashing habits for life makes a lot of sense. I am not a radical environmentalist who is willing to chain himself to save just one small tree, but always go for reasonable solutions.
The habit, washing hands, which we take for granted every day, can prevent serious health conditions before they even happen.
I once watched the TED video where Myriam Sidibe explained that, for example, handwashing with soap can reduce diarrhea by half, reduce respiratory infections by one third, as well as minimize the spreading of flu, trachoma, SARS and Ebola. Those are pretty amazing findings many people, including me, have not ever been aware of.
It also makes sense to promote clean hands around the world due to the fact that a small, cost-effective change in the daily routine of each and every one of us can make a huge impact on the whole society – prevent people from common sicknesses and stop children from dying.
How to wash hands more often?
Start with buying a bar of soap in your local store or supermarket. It does not have be a fancy herb-filled soap. Go with a plain and simple one.
Then, place the soap in the bathroom, kitchen or near any place with access to water.
In my current apartment, I have two bars of soap, one of them is on the bathroom sink, and the other one is on the kitchen sink. So, no matter where I am, whether using the bathroom or cooking dinner in the kitchen, I always have easy access to soap.
If you have children, make sure that the kindergartens and primary schools teach kids how to use soap, and actually have bars of soap, which kids can use, in the bathrooms and classrooms. Most of the children pick up disease at home or at school.
If the kids do not learn to wash their hands when they are still young, it will be very difficult to change the habits that they have formed early in life.
Happy handwashing to everyone!
