Nurse urges public to clean jewellery every day to tackle coronavirus outbreak

6 March 2020, 10:33 | Updated: 6 March 2020, 10:37

A nurse is encouraging people to wash their rings every evening when they get in.

With the coronavirus infecting over 115 people in the UK this week, everyone is on high alert when it comes to spreading germs.

And now one woman has revealed you should be washing your jewellery every night.

In a post on Facebook, the health care worker from Australia said ‘hand hygiene’ is especially important.

"I will admit I am a bit of a clean freak and germaphobe... but I am a nurse and so hand hygiene is huge for me," she admitted.

While people are being advised to clean their hands thoroughly and wipe their phones, the nurse warned jewellery can also harbour bacteria.

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To combat this, she uses disinfectant and antiseptic wipes on her engagement ring every single day.

"I take it off and clean it with the swabs before I put it back on," she said, adding: "Who knows what's been jammed in those little creases?"

In the lengthy post, the woman - who is currently travelling in Japan with her fiancé - also said you should avoid putting outdoor clothes or handbags on your bed.

She explained: "My dirty outdoor clothes and bags don't touch the bed and I don't get into bed without a good shower."

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The woman said she also puts hand sanitiser on toilet seats as well as putting a layer of toilet paper on the seats before she sits down.

This comes after Brits were warmed to clean phone screens twice a day to prevent spreading of the coronavirus.

Professor William Keevil, from the University of Southampton, told the Telegraph: “You could be washing your hands, but if you start touching your smartphone screen and then touch your face that is a potential route of infection.”

Phone screens can contribute a significant factor to spreading the deadly virus, more than you'd initially suspect, and they've even been described as "portable Petri dishes".

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