I must say that I’m not one of those people for whom hand-washing is of great importance. I wash my hands when they need washing – before meals, before cooking, after the bathroom -(let’s not go into too much detail!) – but I’m not obsessed about germs particularly. When there was the Swine Flu ‘outbreak’ that was going to wipe out the entire human race, I was mildly concerned, but I didn’t wash my hands any more frequently than usual. That’s just how I am.

So why am I recommending a hand-sanitiser, or ‘Clean Hands Gel’ as l’Occitane have so nicely named it? Well, last week I had a ‘germ epiphany’ when a man on the tube stuck his hands down into his pants for a rummage, and then withdrew them and placed them on the same handrail that I was holding on to. It made me feel physically sick, especially as I was trying to eat a Crayfish and Rocket sandwich.

I shall now be diligently cleansing my hands before every ‘on-the-hop’ meal (I’m always having to gobble down a quick sandwich between castings when timings are tight!) using a ‘no-water-needed’ hand cleanser. I have used various brands before, but I don’t like the smell, and they make my hands dry. L’Occitane’s Lavender Gel is therefore somewhat of a godsend – it smells amazing, it’s natural, and it doesn’t dry your hands out as much as some of the ultra-harsh sanitisers.

At £5.50, it’s more expensive than most, but well worth it in my opinion – better than having my sandwich generously seasoned with ‘Man Germs.’ (Shudder).