Practise good hygiene

September 20, 2009 by  
Filed under Travel Tips

With good hygiene practices, you can avoid getting a viral or bacterial infection when on holiday overseas. LAVIINIA DHANAGUNAN looks at simple steps travellers can observe to avoid getting the bug

Washing hands thoroughly can help stop germs from spreading

Washing hands thoroughly can help stop germs from spreading

IT’S amazing how many people these days don’t have good hygiene habits. Walk around in the towns and cities and you often find dried spit and rubbish on sidewalks. And if you’re really unlucky, the person near you will suddenly exhale loud enough to burst your ear drum. You might even get some of that sneeze on you. Quick, get a tissue and wipe it off. You never know if that’s a freak sneeze or something more sinister.

Here are some good hygiene practices to observe, especially if you’re on holiday:

Wash Your Hands Clean your hands with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Lather well and count slowly to 10 before you wash it off with water. Or you could start singing (quietly) “Happy Birthday” to yourself from the moment you squeeze the soap from the dispenser. If you haven’t done this, avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth because that’s how germs spread. If you have it, an alcohol-based hand cleaner is also quite effective.
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