It’s no secret that you’re at greater risk of illness when you travel. In fact, in a study conducted by the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare, it was found that about 25% of airport air samples contained illness-causing germs.
Because of this, practicing good travel hygiene is essential. You can’t avoid every germ, but you can take steps to protect yourself from catching a trip-ruining illness.
To learn everything you need to know about the best ways to stay healthy on your next trip, just keep reading!
Wash Your Hands
One of the most effective ways to protect your health and wellness in any situation, but especially while traveling, is to wash your hands often. We use our hands for everything, which means coming into contact with germs is unavoidable.
By washing your hands before and after interacting with common touchpoints, you prevent those germs from entering your body and causing harm.
Don’t Touch Your Face
Touching your face is a tough habit to break, as it’s often done subconsciously, but it’s important to try anyway! Because unless you’ve just washed your hands, touching your face transfers the bacteria from your hands to the entry points of your body.
Once the germs reach your nose, mouth, or eyes, getting sick is much more likely. Do your best to stay cognizant of your hands’ movements and stop yourself when you feel the urge to bring them to your face.
Avoid Common Touchpoints
Another smart travel tip is to avoid common touchpoints when possible. Now, your safety should always come first – don’t avoid holding the handrails on the escalators if you need them!
That said, some strains of bacteria can survive on surfaces for up to 48 hours. Anytime you can avoid tapping screens, holding handrails, and interacting with other shared interfaces in public, you should.
Use Anti-Bacterial Mouth Wash
If your list of travel essentials doesn’t already include anti-bacterial mouth wash, it’s time to add it. Your mouth is one of the most common entry points for illness-causing bacteria.
When you brush your teeth and use anti-bacterial mouth wash, you destroy those bacteria, as well as those that cause cavities and bad breath.
Don’t Skip the Shower
Believe it or not, your hair is an ideal home for germs. Bacteria get into the follicles of your hair and set up shop, making you susceptible to illness simply by touching your hair.
When you’re traveling, make a point to shower and wash your hair every day. To take your cleanliness a step further, you can use these products to gently cleanse your hair without drying out your scalp.
Protect Your Health With These Travel Hygiene Tips
There’s nothing worse than getting sick while on vacation, or struggling through a business trip because you caught a cold on the way in.
Unfortunately, there’s no surefire way to avoid illness, but by using these travel hygiene tips, you can lower your risk of falling victim to dangerous bacteria.
And these are just a few of the ways you can prioritize your health and wellbeing while traveling! To learn more travel tips and tricks, take a look at our blog.
