I belong to a couple of social groups, one specifically for women and the other is not confined to but currently attracts only women and of the much older variety. In the last year as we have been making our way out of the global illness, I have noticed a sea change from most of them grabbing the chocolate prizes in the weekly raffles to choosing the hand cleaners and body washes. Our need to brush up on personal hygiene and remember to wash our hands far more often has actually made us realise how much more we can do to stop germs. I am absolutely certain that older men resent being told to wash more – just like when they were little boys no doubt. I have witnessed many times, when confronted by a cruise attendant in a buffet, they step around them to avoid the indignity of the public wash basin. I’m not sure what they’re like at home. Dread to think. But hand washing, with proper bars of soap or endless plastic tubs of hand wash, is essential to helping to stop germs spreading.
