Clean Hands for Everyone
by Lonye Gilles
A delicious mud pie, a good luck rock, or a friendly frog are just a few presents that kids love to share. But millions of germs could be lurking behind these gifts.
Kids don’t always listen when you tell them to wash their hands, but it’s a message worth repeating. Hand washing is by far the best way to prevent germs from spreading and to help keep your children from getting sick.
The First Line of Defense Against Germs
Germs are transmitted in many ways, including:
At home-
Ø Touching dirty hands
Ø Handling family pets
Ø Through droplets released in sneezes or coughs
Ø Through contact with a sick person’s body fluids
Ø Sharing toys with a sick sibling
At school-
Ø Pencil sharpeners
Ø Light switches
Ø Door handles/knobs
Ø Shared staplers, restroom passes
Ø Sharing supplies (crayons, pencils, scissors, etc)
Ø Classroom games, toys, p.e./recess equipment
When kids come in contact with germs, they can unknowingly become infected simply by touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. Once they are infected, it’s only a matter of time before the whole family comes down with the same illness.
Good hand washing is the first line of defense against the spread of diseases and illnesses. Frequent and proper hand washing can reduce the outbreak of many communicable diseases such as the common cold, meningitis, bronchitis, influenza, hepatitis A, infectious diarrhea and pink eye, just to name a few.
Washing Hands Correctly
Here’s how to scrub those germs away. Demonstrate this routine to your children – or better yet, wash your hands together often so they learn directly from you how important this good habit is. Leading by good example is the best way to teach your children your expectations for them.
- Wash your hands in warm water. HOT water is not necessary.
- Use soap and lather up for about 10-15 seconds. (Antibacterial soap is not necessary---any soap will due.) Make sure you get in between the fingers and under the nails where germs like to hide……and don’t forget the wrists!
- Rinse and dry well with a clean towel. (In public restrooms, use hand blowers when available, but be sure to push the button with your elbow, not your clean hand.)
To minimize the germs passed around your family, make frequent hand washing a rule for everyone, especially:
ü Before eating and cooking
ü After using the restroom
ü After touching animals, even the family pet
ü Before and after visiting sick relatives
ü After blowing your nose, coughing, sneezing
ü After being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)
Don’t underestimate the power of hand washing! The few seconds you spend at the sink could save you trips to the doctor’s office.
