Did You Know It’s National “Clean Hands” Week Sept. 21-27?!!

Seriously, it is. And brought to you by the Soap & Detergents Association, of course…!  Kidding aside, their bottom line message is important– especially as we roll into cooler weather, more time spent indoors and the the advent of the cold and flu season.  According to the SDA telephone study, Americans get a C- on their hygiene.  Yuck.  Close to 40% of Americans don’t wash their hands after coughing or sneezing into them. And fewer of us THIS year are washing our hands after we use the restroom. Seriously, yuck.   Don’t you think? Except for teachers who understand the importance and proper “protocol” for maximum results.  Figures the teachers get an “A”–I’m glad they will be reminding our youth!  So, just to brush up on your “Hygiene IQ” here is what the SDA suggests:

The SDA outlined how to wash hands to effectively remove germs:

• • Wet hands with warm running water before applying soap.
  • Rub hands together to make a lather. Do this away from running water so the lather isn’t washed away.
  • Wash the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under the nails. Wash for at least 15 to 20 seconds.
  • Rinse hands well under warm running water.
  • Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
  • Hand sanitizers or hand wipes are useful alternatives if soap and water aren’t available for washing your hands.

If you’d like to share this info with a youngster, they even have a site available: http://www.cleaning101.com/sdakids/ !  And if you are really, REALLY interested in all the facts about how and why washing makes good health sense, you can learn more at the Center for Disease & Control.

Just remember wash well, dry thoroughly, cover your mouth when you cough and STAY HOME when you are sick!  Add in a good night’s rest, a nutritious diet filled with real food iwith a variety of color, good fats, and lean protein and you are SET!

Have a wonderful weekend and happy hand washing!

Tags: cold, flu, healthy families, healthy kids, prevention, stay health, wash hands