cultures in a petri dish in the shape of a child's hand

Why You Need To Wash Your Hands

Picture of an 8-year-old boy’s handprint pressed on a Petri dish. Courtesy Tasha Sturm/Cabrillo College/asm.org

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and conditions are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water. The CDC recommends cleaning hands in a specific way to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others:

  1. Use warm running water to wet your hands while rubbing them with soap.
  2. Rub your hands together being sure to lather the back of the hands and under your nails.
  3. Scrub your hands thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.
  4. Rinse your hands under running water to remove the soap, dirt, and germs.
  5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

Learning good hand-hygiene habits is essential to reducing the spread of germs. On this National Hand Hygiene Day, do your part…and keep it clean!

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