Monsoon brings with it a lot of joy and relief from harsh summers. It is the season of festivities and many of us love to soak in the first rains. But it also brings with it poodles, grime, and muck. It is also the season to make us fall sick unless we are careful. The most affected part of our body is our feet. These are exposed to the outside harsh weather and have to contend with almost everything. due to this, our feet are prone to various infections during the rainy season. Here I list few basic yet effective foot care tips to pamper your feet this monsoon.

5 essential foot care routines

1. Let your feet breathe: First of all, make sure to keep your feet dry and clean. Wet, dirty, and smelly feet are prone to fungal infections and allergies. When you are back home, take care to properly clean your feet, if need be, keep your feet soaked in for some time in the lukewarm water. Add some antiseptic liquid to the water. Wash your feet and dry it with a clean towel. Apply some moisturizer. This will make your feet clean and infection-free.
2. Avoid wearing leather shoes: it is a good idea to avoid wearing leather shoes during this season. First of all, water and grime are bad for your shoes and wet leather shoes smell awful. So these are a prime source of bacteria. Switch over to open shoes or flip-flops for proper foot care. Same goes for your socks. Keep your socks clean and dry and never wear socks which are damp. Good footwear hygiene goes a long way in preventing unwanted infections. Therefore, choose your shoes carefully. Comfort and safety are two prime reasons which should guide you in choosing the right shoes.
3. Keep nails clean and short: Nails can collect dirt and grime very easily. Unless cleaned, these can later lead to infection. One way of avoiding it is to keep these short and periodically clean them with soapy water. Never soak your feet in rainwater, however tempting it may be. Nails are a part of your foot care routine and therefore, never neglect them. 
4. Take care of Cuts: take good care of cuts on your feet. Cover these up with medicated bands. Avoid walking in muddy water as it can infest your wound with bacteria. Open wounds are an easy source of bacteria of entry into your body. Covering them up and applying medication can keep bacteria away. Keeping these open will invite infections. Consequently, these can cause infected wounds which take time to get cured.

5. Use anti-fungal powder: a proper foot care kit must include an anti-fungal powder. After the bath, pat your feet dry and sprinkle the anti-fungal powder liberally, especially between the toes. Consult with your dermatologist to recommend you one good anti-fungal powder. This can keep a number of fungal infections at bay.

Here are the five tips which you can use to keep your feet clean and infection-free during the monsoon. Make sure you follow the routine foot care plan to keep your feet in the best shape. Remember willful negligence can lead to a serious condition. Therefore, diabetic patients must take utmost foot care during this season. They are prone to diabetic foot and ignoring routine foot care procedure may lead to serious complications. Consult a physician immediately if you sense an infection setting in. hence, sanitation is the key to keep germs away.