You may think a quick rinse under water is enough to clean your hands, but you’d be surprised! Keeping your hands clean is one of the most important methods to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to other people in the household. Many diseases are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean water.
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To properly wash your hands, wet them under clean, running water. Apply soap and lather your hands together—lather the backs of your hands, between fingers and under nails. Scrub your hands for at least 20-seconds, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Rinse your hands under clean, running water and dry using a clean towel, paper towels or allow them to air dry.
Here are five reasons why hand washing is so important…
How Germs Make People Sick
People, especially children frequently touch their eyes, mouth and nose without realizing it. Germs can travel from the hand and get into the body, which can make us sick. Feces from people and pets spread germs like Salmonella, E. coli and norovirus, which causes diarrhea and it can cause respiratory infections.
According to the CDC, proper hand washing can reduce the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 30-percent. A single gram of human feces can contain one trillion germs. That’s about the weight of a paper clip.