TKW Consulting

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Fight Germs! Wash Your Hands!

It is cold and flu season... I know of several people who have been suffering lately. What do you think is the number one way to prevent colds and flu? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cleaning your hands is the single most important thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others.

Approximately how many times do you wash your hands on an average day? How often do you make the children in your care wash their hands?
When you wash your hands, how long do you typically lather them, or rub them with soap? The SDA and CDC recommend washing with soap for at least 20 seconds to remove germs and dirt.
Do you and the children wash your hands after you cough or sneeze?
Do you and the children wash your hands before eating lunch? You really should wash wash your hands before lunch, because many of the surfaces you touch – such as money, door handles, and elevator buttons – can harbor germs that can make you sick.
Do you and the children wash your hands after going to the bathroom? After changing a diaper?

Washing your hands often and well is an easy way to help prevent the spread of many infections, including the common cold. Illinois law sets standards for handwashing in child care centers and day care homes. Here are some recommendations.

What are the best times to wash hands?
Children should wash their hands as soon as they arrive at the child care center or day care home, AND...
BEFORE going home
AFTER using the bathroom, sneezing, touching the nose, playing with a pet or other animal, playing outside, playing with toys that other children use, touching anything soiled with body fluids or wastes (such as blood, saliva, urine, stool, or vomit)
BEFORE AND AFTER eating, cooking, or otherwise handling food
ANYTIME hands look, feel, or smell unclean

Parents and teachers should wash their hands as soon as they arrive at the school or child care center, AND...
BEFORE handling food or bottles, giving or using medicine or ointments, going home
AFTER using or helping a child use the toilet, changing a diaper, touching any body fluids (by wiping a runny nose, for example), handling pets or pet objects (cages or leashes, for example), handling objects used by children, removing gloves used for any sanitary purpose, using a telephone, caring for or touching a child who is ill
ANYTIME they go to another room in the school or child care center, or move to a different group of children
ANYTIME hands look, feel, or smell unclean

What is the best way to wash hands?

Use warm, but not hot, running water. Run the "cold" water first. Then, gradually increase the amount of warm water, testing the temperature yourself before the child puts her hands under the tap. [Note: Safety experts say it's best to keep the home water heater set at no higher than 120 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius).]
Avoid shortcuts. Use soap. (Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are now being studied, but, at present, soap is recommended for handwashing in child care settings.) Wash the front and back of both hands. Remember to clean under nails. Wash for at least 15 seconds. (This is about how long it takes to sing the alphabet song.) Rinse well.
Dry your hands with a fresh paper towel or an automatic dryer. Then use the towel to turn off faucet. Note: Do not use automatic dryers for infants and toddlers. Closely supervise other children under 6 years of age who use these dryers.
Help young children wash their hands using the above method. As they become experienced, you can teach them how to wash their hands while you supervise.