Wash
Your Paws!
The current worldwide infection with swine flu has heightened
everyone’s interest in preventing the spread of infections. If you have been
following flu news on the Internet, you can find all kinds of suggestions for
reducing your risk of exposure – everything from wearing masks to avoiding pig
farms and petting zoos. One of the best methods for helping to prevent the
spread of infection is easy, convenient, and cheap – simply washing your hands!
When Fido comes in the house, leaving brown paw prints along our white carpets, we’re quick to notice how dirty his paws are, but what about our own paws? Here are some germ facts sure to make you run to the bathroom and scrub your hands:
When Fido comes in the house, leaving brown paw prints along our white carpets, we’re quick to notice how dirty his paws are, but what about our own paws? Here are some germ facts sure to make you run to the bathroom and scrub your hands:
-
Between 2 and 10 million bacteria live below your elbows
- The number of germs on your hands doubles after going to the bathroom
- About one in four women and half of men DON’T wash their hands after going to the bathroom
- The number of germs on your hands doubles after going to the bathroom
- About one in four women and half of men DON’T wash their hands after going to the bathroom
Benefits
of handwashing
Researchers at the University of Colorado conducted an interesting study looking at the benefits of handwashing hygiene education for college students. Students living in 4 residence halls were included in this study. Half of the students were educated about the importance of handwashing. For example, educational flyers were placed in the dining halls and bathrooms promoting good handwashing hygiene. The other group of students did not receive any education and served as a control group. Weekly reports on hand hygiene were compared. Students educated about hand hygiene reported handwashing or using hand sanitizer an average of 0.74 times per hour compared with 0.46 times per hour for the control group. Over 12 hours, educated students would have washed their hands 9 times, compared with 6 times for the controls. Perhaps most importantly, the group educated about handwashing reported 26 percent fewer illness than the control group and 40 percent fewer absences from school and work.
Researchers at the University of Colorado conducted an interesting study looking at the benefits of handwashing hygiene education for college students. Students living in 4 residence halls were included in this study. Half of the students were educated about the importance of handwashing. For example, educational flyers were placed in the dining halls and bathrooms promoting good handwashing hygiene. The other group of students did not receive any education and served as a control group. Weekly reports on hand hygiene were compared. Students educated about hand hygiene reported handwashing or using hand sanitizer an average of 0.74 times per hour compared with 0.46 times per hour for the control group. Over 12 hours, educated students would have washed their hands 9 times, compared with 6 times for the controls. Perhaps most importantly, the group educated about handwashing reported 26 percent fewer illness than the control group and 40 percent fewer absences from school and work.
Effective
handwashing technique
What’s the best way to wash your hands – just soap and water! Microbiologists at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill tested 14 handwashing products. They found that simple soap and water worked best. Soap won’t kill germs, but it lifts them off of your skin so they can be rinsed away with water – which is why you need BOTH soap and water! And just 10 seconds of washing was enough to get rid of over 9 in every 10 germs on your hands!
What’s the best way to wash your hands – just soap and water! Microbiologists at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill tested 14 handwashing products. They found that simple soap and water worked best. Soap won’t kill germs, but it lifts them off of your skin so they can be rinsed away with water – which is why you need BOTH soap and water! And just 10 seconds of washing was enough to get rid of over 9 in every 10 germs on your hands!
So
remember – handwashing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread
of infections. So don’t forget to wash your paws!
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