Now that the kiddoes are back at school, where germs may lurk on every door handle, water fountain, keyboard, desk and backpack, it’s time to remind your children when and how to wash their hands.
Because thorough hand-washing is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick and prevent germs from spreading, here are a few tips for your kids—and a good reminder for you, too!
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s important to wash your hands:
And with apologies to the CDC, I might add one more:
The Centers for Disease Control, recommends these five steps to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others:
Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, 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.
This quick video helps highlight the importance of following the proper hand-washing technique.
A study published in the April 2013 Journal of Environmental Health showed that 95% of people don’t spend enough time washing to kill harmful bacteria. Wow, that’s hardly anyone! So how long should we wash them?
According to the study, about 20 seconds is enough. Here’s a tip: Teach your children to hum the Happy Birthday song softly to themselves twice as they lather and scrub. Then it’s time to rinse and dry.
Resources:
I have a home daycare, so every time we come inside we wash our hands with soap. That also applies to the kids who are getting off the bus after school. They’re all in the habit of taking off their outerwear and heading straight to the bathroom. Then of course, I ask – “Did you pet the pig?”
LOL, that’s great, Stefanie! You are helping to instill a life-long habit that will help protect our future!
I love the Norwex Peppermint hand wash as I always know when my kids have washed their hands. We’ll strive for 20 seconds now!
ABC song works too!
Getting better about my family washing their hands is one of my New Years resolutions!
This is worrying that people need to be shown how to wash their mitts. Is this article not just really patronising!