I washed my hands 78 times today. It is almost 20 counts less than yesterday.
The beginning and end of my days are characterized by washing my hands (legs and face too).
Every time I touch a vessel or a ladle in the kitchen, I scrub my hands clean. Every time I drop a piece of waste in the bin, I frantically clean my hands.
The cleaning process itself takes approximately 3 minutes, following the popular 5-step hand washing technique.
When COVID happened, all I did for 2 years was wash my hands, other than social distancing, of course.
I carry a liquid hand wash, water, wet tissues, and a sanitizer when I travel. If I travel in an open vehicle like an autorickshaw, bike, bus, or cab with windows rolled down, the cleansing extends beyond my hands to the forearms, face, and neck.
The skin on my hands is very dry due to constant washing with soap and not letting the moisturizer sink in. But, I don’t care. Cleanliness is next to Godliness!
I cannot stand people around me not washing their hands after touching foreign surfaces or substances.
I dream of a world where all humans adopt hand washing as a daily ritual and practice it not only when the need arises, but religiously, at least 50 times a day.
