Guide To Handcare

Hand hygiene is a hot topic these days and, at phs, we’ve always made sure to support our clients in reaching the highest standards of handcare for their businesses. Hand hygiene is absolutely a key factor in keeping staff, visitors and customers safe and healthy, but we go further by making sure our clients have access to the latest in antibacterial technology, as well as hand gels, hand moisturisers, and a great range of soap dispensers, too.

Why is hand care important?

We all know what good hand hygiene is, but what is good handcare? The good news: it’s not all about the latest in age-reducing technology. We know our clients are fastidious when it comes to the health and well-being of their staff, customers and visitors, and having good handcare policies and practices in place goes a long way to ensuring everyone’s happy and healthy. Reducing risk around infectious diseases and keeping hand dermatitis at bay are just some of the reasons to have top-quality soaps and hand-washing systems in place to meet all your handcare needs.

Is handcare really that important in every setting?

In a word: yes! Our fantastic clients work across a huge range of sectors, including healthcare settings—and good hand care is crucial whether it’s in a care home, a factory, an office or anywhere else. And, while hand hygiene is on everyone’s mind as we begin to move towards the “new normal”, hygiene isn’t the only thing that’s important.

If you’re in a position where you need to wash your hands frequently, wear gloves or use aggressive disinfectants or detergents, conditions such as hand dermatitis can become an issue.

This is because frequent uses of high-intensity soap or soaps (as well as detergents, disinfectants—or just cleaning using particular products), the natural barrier that covers the skin on your hands can become worn down. This can be either through short-term but less frequent exposure to strong skin irritants, or longer-term exposure to less typically irritatingly products.

So, what about hand hygiene?

While we may not all be experts on viruses, it’s fair to say that general knowledge of viral infection has increased somewhat over recent years. So, we know we might be preaching to the choir here when we say: many viruses can survive on surfaces (clean or otherwise) for multiple hours—or even days, in some cases. The CDC states that the average person touches their face 23 times in one hour and up to 2,000 times in a day (and, honestly, our minds are still boggled at that!): we don’t need a calculator to work out that this could mean a high risk of virus transmission in many settings.

• In fact, the CDC has done the maths for us, stating that around one-third of diarrhoea-related illnesses and one-fifth of respiratory infections could be prevented just with good hand hygiene policy and procedures in place.After using the toilet,
• Before eating, preparing or handling food,
• After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing,
• After touching animals,
• Before and after work,
• Before and after breaks.

And, of course, there are plenty of other times it’s recommended, too—specific to your particular environment.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends we spend 20-30 seconds washing our hands or cleaning them with an alcohol-based hand rub. If your hands are visibly soiled, you should up that to 30-40 seconds.

Besides washing hands frequently with good-quality soap, what else can I do to ensure good hand care practice?

We’ve talked a little about hand hygiene, which is on everyone’s minds at the moment. But with frequent hand-washing, the barrier on the skin on our hands can become less effective, which can lead to a feeling of dryness (where the skin feels tight) and we can also be more susceptible to cracked or sore skin and conditions such as dermatitis.

A good hand care regime can help reduce these risks and doesn’t have to be onerous. phs Direct carries a great line in hand moisturiser that can absolutely help to reduce dry and cracked skin and even help to soothe the symptoms of dermatitis (although you should seek professional medical help if you think you might have dermatitis).

Why phs are the leading provider of bathroom hand care.

Our clients know we’re reliable when it comes to providing top-quality products at the best price and with quick delivery times. So, why else should you come to us for your hand care needs?

• Our range of products: from soap, hand moisturiser and hand gel to industrial soap dispensers and more, you can find something for your every need in the phs Direct range.
• We are experts: our team works with thousands upon thousands of bathrooms annually—we know how to work with you to get the results you need.
• Top-quality service: we’re not going to pull an install-and-run. Once we’ve set your dispensers up, we’ll be back to check on them and service them as required—often.
• We use the most up-to-date tech: and that includes the latest in antibacterial protection.
• We deliver the highest standards: and that helps you ensure your staff, customers and site visitors get hygienic, simple-to-use and well-maintained facilities.

Why use phs?

When you purchase your soap and handcare supplies from phs Direct, as well as our 25 years of industry experience, you’ll be getting nationwide delivery right to your door.

We’re always updating our range, bringing you the very best in handcare products, including:

• Dispensers and keys, for both liquid and foam soaps, including options with wall brackets,
• Disposable gloves, including sterile and vinyl-free,
• Hand sanitiser, including alcohol and non-alcohol options, in a variety of case sizes to meet every need,
• Hand soaps galore, including antibacterial, perfumed and non-perfumed options, alongside spray, foam and liquid choices—and high-end options such as kelp, lime and blueberry.
• Industrial handcare, including those all-important heavy-duty options,
• Hand moisturisers, including great hand creams and a range of Pasture Naturals options.

So, get in touch today to find out how we can help you reach the next level in handcare.