Stay healthy – wash your hands

Matti Daniels
Family and Consumer Sciences

One of the best ways to stop the spread of germs and stay healthy is to keep your hands clean. Wash your hands with warm soapy water:

• before and after preparing food

• after touching raw eggs, meat, poultry and fish or their juices during food preparation

• before eating

• after using the bathroom

• after changing a diaper

• after touching garbage

• after handling pets, pet food or pet waste

• after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing

• before and after caring for someone who is sick

• before and after treating a cut or wound

Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Scrub for at least 20 seconds. To time yourself, you can hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

After washing, rinse your hands well under clean, running water and dry them with a clean towel or air dry them.

If soap and water are not available, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used. However, sanitizers do not eliminate all types of germs and should not be used as a regular substitute for hand washing.

If there are any questions, contact the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service at 549-1430; e-mail DL_CES_WHITLEY@EMAIL.UKY.EDU; or visit the office located at 4275 N. Highway 25W in Goldbug.