National Handwashing awareness week

   This week is National handwashing week! As many know, as
the cold weather approaches it can be hard to stay away from all
the viruses going around. From coughing to congestion, there aremany germs that can spread quickly. One simple and easy way to keep clean from the germs and viruses is by washing your hands!

  Sometimes, it’s obvious you need to wash your hands. They feel grimy, slimy or sticky, or they look dirty, crusty or gross. However, germs, colds and flu and other viruses don’t make your hands look or feel nasty.

  No matter how they look or feel, your hands need a good wash before and after certain activities, such as; Eating or preparing food, touching your face, coming home from a public place, sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose, touching pets, animal food or waste, using the restroom, or working outside.
Just like hand sanitizer, soap and water can make your hands dry. Handwashing dryness is common if you have eczema or other skin conditions. If you continue
washing without caring for your skin, you could get dry, chapped hands. If this happens, germs may get through your cracked skin and cause an infection. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid dryness. After every wash, moisturize your hands. Whether you wash with soap and water or hand sanitizer, moisturizer helps keep your hands healthy. The timing of applying moisturizer depends on how you clean your hands. After washing
with soap and water, it’s best to rub in lotion before your hands are dry. With hand sanitizer, wait until your hands are completely dry. Once they are, apply lotion immediately. It’s recommended that when you wash your hands use soap and clean running water for at least 20 seconds. Work up a good lather and clean the back of the hands, between the fingers and under the nails. Dry your hands using a clean towel. When
soap and running water are not available, a hand sanitizer, with at least 60 percent of alcohol, can also help to reduce illness and the spread of germs. Another forgotten benefit of handwashing is that it helps combat the rise in antibiotic resistance.

Handwashing prevents an estimated 30 percent of diarrhea related illnesses and around 20 percent of respiratory infections. Since antibiotics are frequently prescribed for these health issues, washing your hands can help reduce the overuse of antibiotics.