Modern recommendations for tick removal are a lot different from what we did on the farm as a kid...
Long ago, a forester recommended to me lighter colored, long sleeves and long pants for hiking. Not only can you see the ticks more easily before they get inside the clothes to your skin, but you can spray the clothes without spraying DEET your skin.
Check frequently, especially after hiking and after your shower. You'll often find them before they get attached. Have your spouse or friend check your back, back of the neck, and top of your head where you can't easily see, or use a mirror. The sooner you get the tick off you or your pet, the better.
If the dog camps with us, he gets brushed, combed, and inspected each evening. The truck tailgate is a good height for a grooming table, and he likes the attention. It's hard to see the ticks in his thick hair-like dark cockapoo fur, but I often find them with my fingertips.
The soap and sanitizing gel are best reserved for after inspection and tick removal. Wash your hands, the affected area, and sanitize both. I sanitize the tweezers, too, before putting them back in the first-aid kit. I put an antibiotic cream on a tick bite area for a few days.
Don't squish a tick that you've removed. That can spread the germs. Handle it as little as possible, preferably never touching it with anything but the tweezers.
Here's an interesting test done on different tick removal devices versus narrow tweezers:
http://www.biosci.ohio-state.edu/~acarolog/needham/tickgone.htm