Healthy lifestyle/Hand washing

Why is it important?
Many common health issues arise due to the lack of hand washing. These include the common cold, the flu, diarrhea, vomiting, and hepatitis. Through day-to-day activities dirt and germs can accumulate on your hands and especially under your fingernails. In turn, your hands can serve as a vector to pass these germs along to yourself and others. Infections are one of the leading causes of death in the United States, surpassed only by heart disease. It is taught in Military Biological Warfare Classes, even in common day to day washing your hands frequently and keeping your hands out of your face, eyes, mouth and nose is one of the best ways of avoiding getting sick even during a biological attack, it’s really that simple.

When should you wash your hands?
Although it is impractical to think that your hands can be 100% germ-free at all times, there are some specific situations where hand washing is vital:
 * After using bathroom
 * After changing diaper
 * After blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing
 * After handling un-cooked food
 * Before handling or eating food
 * After handling garbage
 * After handling money
 * After playing with a pet
 * Before and after visiting a hospital

Proper Hand Washing Technique

 * 1) Turn on warm running water and wet hands
 * 2) Apply liquid soap to wet hands and lather
 * 3) Rub hands vigorously together for 15-20 seconds
 * 4) Be sure to scrub between all fingers, under nails, and all surfaces of hands, including wrists
 * 5) Rinse well under running water
 * 6) Dry hands with clean or disposable towel
 * 7) Turn water faucet off with towel