Hygiene tips for home care

People in need of care are often older or have chronic illnesses, so their immune system is generally not as able to fight off pathogens in the same way as young and healthy people. That’s why hygienic conditions are so important when ensuring the best way to prevent infections.

Hygiene in the care sector is more than just cleanliness: it's about creating an environment where the spread of viruses, bacteria, and fungi is hindered. Rigorous hygiene measures are not simply pedantry or a means to an end, but a profound expression of love and devotion as it directly contributes to the well-being of the person you are caring for.

By adhering to hygiene measures, you are ultimately not only helping the person you are caring for, but also yourself. After all, being in contact with people in need of care always involves a certain risk of infection for the caregiver too, for example when changing dressings, removing waste, or assisting the person with intimate care.

Now, let's delve into the specifics of hygiene in caregiving.

Did you know that the most common transmission of pathogens is through hands? [1] It's no surprise, considering how frequently we touch various surfaces with the potential to harbour viruses, bacteria, or fungi—be it a subway handrail or a public restroom faucet.

Through handshakes or shared objects, caregivers can easily become carriers of pathogens. After transmission to the hands, viruses, bacteria, and the like only need to come into contact with the mucous membranes (i.e. the eyes or the mouth) to enter the body [2].

For this reason, hand hygiene is one of the most important measures for breaking chains of infection—in everyday life and especially in care. Hand washing is a central component of this.

After visiting the restroom, before eating, or before preparing food: Since the pandemic, many of us have integrated regular handwashing into our everyday lives. However, this hygiene measure becomes even more important in a care context.

Thorough handwashing with water and soap helps remove a significant portion of pathogens from the hands. The washing process should last at least 20-30 seconds [3]. Moreover, attention should be paid to all areas: not just palms and the back of the hands but also your fingertips, spaces between your fingers, thumbs, and fingernails. Liquid soaps are preferable for hygiene reasons [2].

As a caregiver, it is best to always wash your hands in the following situations:
- Before preparing food
- Before touching medication or dentures
- After visiting the restroom
- After entering the home
- After visibly soiling your hands

You can find more helpful tips on handwashing in our article "Proper hand hygiene".

In hospitals or care facilities, professional caregivers have a clear guideline—the so-called "5 moments of hand disinfection"—for the situations in which they should disinfect their hands. This guideline can also be applied to care at home.

As a rule, hand disinfection is always necessary when medical and nursing activities take place in the private sphere of the person in need of care [6].

Hand disinfection should always be carried out in the following situations:

1. Before contact with the person being cared for: this includes even simple touching and aims to fundamentally prevent the transmission of pathogens such as noroviruses or influenza viruses.
2. Before aseptic activities: There are lots of microorganisms on our skin that are harmless. However, if they get inside the body, they can cause infections. As soon as caregivers encounter open areas or mucous membranes (e.g. when changing dressings, inserting syringes, dental care, or administering eye drops), they must disinfect their hands.
3. After contact with infectious material: Caregivers often come into contact with other people's bodily excretions—for example when treating wounds, changing diapers, or intimate hygiene. To protect themselves and others from infection, caregivers should always disinfect their hands after these activities.
4. After contact with the care environment: Pathogens can be transmitted not only via the person themselves, but also via surfaces. If caregivers come into contact with these, they should disinfect their hands afterwards to protect themselves and others.
5. After contact with the person in need of care: Once the care activities have been completed, it is important to disinfect your hands again.

As a caregiver, you should also regularly disinfect frequently used objects and surfaces, such as the bedside table or the remote control. This is because certain pathogens can survive on them for several days and sometimes even weeks under the right conditions [7].

Our Sterillium® 2 in 1 wipes are ideal for removing pathogens quickly and easily from door handles, faucets, and other surfaces. For the rapid disinfection of more sensitive materials such as monitors, acrylic glass or smartphone displays, we have developed our new Sterillium® surface spray. After one minute of exposure, the spray removes most viruses and bacteria. After three minutes more persistent pathogens such as noroviruses are also removed.