Hand Washing...Does He or Doesn't He?

While visiting popular public venues in Chicago, New York, San Francisco & Atlanta, undercover researchers from Harris Institute found about one out of every four men observed in public restrooms did not wash their hands. Of course 93% of women, in the study, washed their hands.

On a toilet seat, there are 295 germs per square inch, even worse, there are 25,000 germs per square inch on an office telephone.

Simple hand washing can prevent the spread of the flu and other illnesses that are spread through direct contact of germs with the mouth, nose and/or eyes. It's a simple habit that takes such very little time and effort. Yet it's incredibly rewarding in terms of preventing illness, which plays a major role in protecting your health.

While, antibacterial products are commonly found, the most common active ingredient is triclosan. One one hand {no pun intend}, in a hospital setting, triclosan has been proven effective to prevent hospital acquired infections. But at home, studies have found it does not work any more effectively then basic soap and water.

A concern with triclosan it that it's linked to dioxins, which are carcinogenic chemicals that can cause health problems such as weakening of the immune system and decreased fertility. Triclosan can also interfere with thyroid function. Also, some studies seem to point, that triclosan may promote the emergence of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

{image}

When to Wash Your Hands:

• Always wash your hands before preparing and eating food, treating wounds, touching contact lenses, etc.
• Always wash hands after preparing food, using the restroom, changing a diaper, coughing, sneezing, blowing your nose, treating wounds, handling the garbage, touching the soles of shoes, etc.

Hand Washing Tips:

• Wet hands with clean {warm is best when possible} running water and apply soap
• Rubs hands together to make a lather
  
• Rub hands well for at least 20 seconds. Sing a verse {or two!} of your favorite song
  
• Remember to scrub all surfaces {backs of hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails}
• Rinse well & dry your hands
• It's best whenever possible, to use your disposable towel to turn off the faucet

Of course, if you don't immediately have access to soap and water, antibacterial wipes are a great alternative, as are baby wipes and towelettes.

Little Kiddie Hands:

• Help children stay healthy and learn to develop the habit of hand washing
• Wash your hands with them to show them how to do it properly
• Teach them to wash their hands for as long as it takes to sing their favorite song, to prevent rushing through it