WASH YOUR HANDS
I can’t tell you how often I’m in a public restroom and see at least half its occupants duck out without washing their hands. Funny thing is, they all know they should, and you can see that look in their eyes as they scan the room to see if anyone noticed they zipped and skipped. I hate to say it, but I’ve done it myself. They weren’t my proudest moments but when you’re running late or there’s no paper towel, it happens. (We won’t even go into the absurdity of public bathrooms with automatic flushing, sinks, soap, and hand-dryers but no automatic doors so you still have to touch the same thing as people who didn’t wash their hands, but I digress.)
We talk about our health, what we should eat, and what we should avoid as if we all know that one thing that will keep us healthy until we drop dead of old age at 100. Most of this is the modern day equivalent of old wive’s tales and snake oil, but we do know without a doubt that washing our hands is a proven way to stay healthier.
It not only helps avoid viruses and infections, it also keeps us from spreading them to other people. Let’s say you’re on your way to work and pick up some nasty virus on your hand as you hold the railings on the bus. You have a fantastic immune system, so you’re lucky enough to skip this bug. But after you transfer those little germies to the front door of your office building, Janice walks right after you and now she gets sick, and then Bob gets sick, and then Sandra. You see? It’s not all about you.
Having kids spend their first month in the NICU truly cemented the importance of hand-washing into my brain. As any new parent will tell you, kids really are the little Petri dishes you think they are. Those guys pick up colds like they were $100 bills on the sidewalk (an appropriate analogy since cash, coins, and credit card pin pads are a good source of germs (and drugs apparently) and yet we usually don’t wash our hands after handling these).
These are the (entirely plagiarized) CDC guidelines for when & how you should wash your hands…
When
- Before, during, and after preparing food
- Before eating food
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
- After using the toilet
- After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
- After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing
- After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste
- After handling pet food or pet treats
- After touching garbage
How
- 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.
Are we all going to be this detailed? Probably not. It’d be great but let’s be realistic; we’re busy, mindless, fallible human beings. We’re lucky if we remember to zip up our pants or check our shoes for toilet paper.
When you really just can’t be bothered to wash your hands, keep some alcohol-based hand sanitizer with you in your bag or purse or buy one of those keychain versions. It’s not perfect and it’s not as effective when you have visible dirt, grease, or other “debris” on your hands but it’s certainly better than nothing and does kill most cold bugs. Just make sure it’s at least 60–95% alcohol concentration.
If you do get sick, try to be courteous about it. Don’t shake anyone’s hand, cough and sneeze into the inside of your elbow instead of your hands, stay home if necessary, and you know, just try not to spread your cooties. Same goes for your kids. Keep them home if they’re sick or you risk becoming “that parent you hate because they sent their sick kid to school and now yours has it too.”
