As a mom, I know I have uttered that sentence thousands of times. Maybe millions. As my kids have gotten older, there has been less need to say it, except when someone in our house is sick.
While washing hands is not a guarantee that the illness will be contained to one person, it definitely helps. In our household, it usually is one of the kids who gets sick. So, once there is a fever or a stomach ache or headache present, I usually begin to remind everyone to wash their hands. Additionally, the sick person is given a towel specifically for him or her in one of the bathrooms. No one else uses that towel, it is the designated “Sick Person Towel”. Although this method is not perfect, there have been very few illnesses that have spread beyond one person in our house.
Of course, just running your hands under cold water won’t satisfy the mom request of “Wash Your Hands.” As I am not a medical professional, I decided not to deliver an unofficial lecture on proper handwashing, but rather decided it would be best to share the advice given by the Centers for Disease Control:
- Wet your hands with clean running water and apply soap. Use warm water if it is available.
- Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub all surfaces.
- Continue rubbing hands for 15-20 seconds. Need a timer? Imagine singing “Happy Birthday” twice through to a friend.
- Rinse hands well under running water.
- Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.*
- Always use soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
*In your own home a fabric towel is fine.
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