Global Handwashing Day is October 15, and it's a good time to remind your kids--and yourself--how to properly cleanse your hands. (After all, it's also cold and flu season!)
Here's a rundown of how to wash your hands correctly:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the faucet, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air-dry them.
Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to reduce the number of germs for the most part. If you can't get to soap and water, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in some situations, but they don't get rid of all germs. Plus, they may not remove harmful chemicals the way that handwashing can.
You probably know all that, but do your kids? In addition to educating them, here's a cool way to get your kids involved in the practice of proper handwashing.
Be a Handwashing Hero
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is having a #HandwashingHeroes social media campaign to spread the word about the importance of handwashing with soap.
Here's how to get involved:
- Wash your hands with soap and water.
- Have someone snap a photo or video of you showing your clean hands, or take a group handwashing photo.
- Post it to Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and use the hashtag #HandwashingHeroes.
For more information about handwashing and how clean hands save lives, visit www.cdc.gov/handwashing
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