WASH YOUR HANDS! …stop the spread of germs!
Hand washing is easy to learn, cheap and very effective at stopping the spread of disease-causing germs! Wash your hands: before meals, before feeding children (including breastfeeding), before and after preparing food, after using the toilet, after changing diapers or helping a child use the toilet, after playing with shared toys, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, before and after visiting with people who are sick, and after handling animals or their food or waste.
Hand washing tips:
1. Remove all rings and wet your hands with warm running water.
2. Put a small amount of liquid soap in the palm of one hand. Rub your hands together for 20 seconds so you produce lather. Make sure you scrub between your fingers, under your fingernails and the backs of your hands.
3. Rinse your hands well with clean running water for at least 10 seconds.
4. Dry your hands with a single use paper towel. If you are using a hand towel, be sure to change it daily. During flu or cold season, you may want to give each family member his or her own hand towel.
5. Turn off the tap or faucet with the paper towel to avoid touching the same surface that you touched with your dirty hands.
6. Use hand lotion to put moisture back into your skin to prevent dryness and cracking.
7. Model good hand washing technique to your children. Have them sing a song like Happy Birthday while washing their hands to teach them the amount of time that it takes to clean their hands properly.
Anglophone West School District, Woodstock Education Center