Coronavirus Update:

In light of the recent Coronavirus outbreak, we now live in uncertain times. But, you can rest assured we are ready, willing and able to assist.

None of our staff have travelled to any outbreak hotspots.

Our engineers and showroom staff are adhering to the latest Department of Health and Social Care Action Plan guidance [1] and hand sanitiser is already readily available. Also, if we receive new advice (and it becomes necessary) our engineers will be equipped with face masks and disposable gloves to wear whilst at customer premises. The current guidance is to ensure regular hand hygiene and stay up to two metres from any person suspected of infection.

If you self isolate as a precaution, we can deliver water softener salt direct to your door (or a safe place) and take debit card payments by telephone. There are delivery terms and conditions, such as minimum order quantity and a mileage based delivery charge. [2]

And, our showroom will be open as usual for salt collection. Customers are welcome to wash their hands – with lovely softened water, or use the sanitiser, as required.

Our salt is suitable for any make or model water softener. Call us for more information – 01225782216

Now Wash Your Hands!

This isn’t new hygiene advice, it has been around for many years. In fact the Father of Handwashing is thought to be Doctor Ignaz Semmelweis who worked at Vienna General Hospital.

In 1846, he noticed that mortality rates in the medical student/doctor-run maternity ward were higher that those in the midwife-run maternity ward. Many more women were contracting infections if a doctor assisted with the birth. After investigation and comparison of both wards everyday practices, he found the maternity ward was visited by the doctors coming straight from performing an autopsy. His theory was that those undertaking autopsies still had ‘cadaverous particles’ on their hands, which were transmitted to the women in the maternity ward. The Midwives were not exposed to these particles, as they did not carry out autopsies.

So, he introduced new hand hygiene practices, and the mortality rates dropped significantly. This is the first proof that cleaning your hands could prevent the spread of infection.

However, some doctors still rejected the new practices and Dr. Semmelweis attempts to promote his ideas to a wider European audience failed to gather momentum.

Another great influencer of hand sanitising was Florence Nightingale. During the Crimean War, she implemented hand washing in the War Hospital to prevent the spread of infection. At this time it was generally thought that ‘foul odours and smells’ were the source – rather than actual contact with germs and bacteria. [3]

Nowadays we are much more aware and hand washing is common place amongst most households of the world. However, a 2014 study found that China was the lowest at 23% and Saudi Arabia highest at 97% of households regularly washing their hands. [4]

Five Times a Day

You may remember from school, being told about the five critical times you should wash your hands everyday, these include the most obvious ones:

After going to the toilet
Before you eat
After touching raw meat, poultry, fish or raw vegetables

plus after changing a baby’s nappy and before feeding a baby or child.

There are, in reality, a lot more times your wash your hands – after gardening, cleaning the car, eating messy food, handling pets, changing a tyre, blowing your nose – there are too many to mention.

The latest Government guidelines are to wash your hands more often, and follow the 20 seconds NHS hand washing procedure.[5]

20 seconds is not a long time – two rounds of “Happy Birthday to You” or the chorus of that famous Bee Gee anthem “Staying Alive.” Quite apt if you think about it. This will help control the spread of infections – including the Coronavirus or COVID 19. [6]

Soft Water Washing

If you are washing your hands more regularly, also be sure to dry them throughly – especially during colder weather. You may notice that your hands chap and split quite easily if you are in and out of the house a lot and don’t have time to use hand creams, moisturisers or barrier creams.

This is more of a problem with our region’s hard water supply. Hard water strips your skin of the natural oils, and protection. This leaves your skin tight and dry and prone to breakage. These areas can allow some infections easier access straight into your bloodstream.

A water softener reduces this harshness. Softened water is proven to improve skin condition and reduce the symptoms of eczema sufferers. [7]

[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-covid-19

[2] https://www.wesofteners.co.uk/salt/

[3] https://globalhandwashing.org/about-handwashing/history-of-handwashing/

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hand_washing

[5] https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/healthy-body/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/

[6] https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2020/mar/04/cleaning-up-the-best-20-second-songs-to-wash-your-hands-to

[7] https://www.wesofteners.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/EczemaReport.pdf