Why Hand Washing is so Important for Kids and Adults

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Kids and adults have to ensure that they wash their hands before eating their meals or having some food. Whenever they indulge in physical activities that are messy like playing outdoor games it is advisable to wash their hands. Even after visiting the toilet one must wash their hands. Hygiene and cleanliness have to be maintained at all cost.

Hand washing prevents one from falling sick.

How Do Germs Usually Spread?

Germs can spread in many ways such as:

  • touching dirty hands
  • changing dirty diapers
  • through contaminated food and water
  • through droplets in the surrounding air that are released during a cough or sneeze
  • on contaminated surfaces
  • through contact with a person who is sick

Infection can be through nose or mouth or by touch. The entire family can get infected if one falls sick.

How Do Clean Hands Help Health?

One must hand wash as dirty hands can spread illnesses. One suffers from meningitis, the flu, bronchiolitis, hepatitis A etc. style of washing hands.

  1. Wash one’s hands in warm water. One must make sure the water isn’t too hot.
  2. Make use of soap and lather up for about 20 seconds (antibacterial soap isn’t necessary — any soap can do).
  3. Germs should be got rid of under one’s fingers and also under the nails where germs prefer to hang out. One must not forget one’s wrists.
  4. One must rinse and dry well with a clean towel.

When Should Kids Wash Their Hands?

In order to stop the spread of germs in one’s family one must make regular hand washing a rule for everybody:

  • before eating the food
  • after playing in the house
  • after using the bathroom
  • after being outside (playing, gardening, walking the dog, etc.)
  • after touching animals, including family pets
  • before and after visiting or taking care of any sick friends or relatives
  • after blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing

What are the steps involved in hand washing?

  • Wet
  • Lather
  • Scrub
  • Rinse

One must try to reduce the spread of diarrhea and respiratory illnesses in order to stay healthy. One must regularly wash hands before and after an activity, even like eating one’s food. It removes the germs present on one’s hands. This is the best way to avoid getting sick and also prevent the spread of germs to others.

One must make their children also aware about the use of soap and water to wash one’s hands. The habit of cleanliness must be inculcated very early. Learn more about when and how to wash one’s hands. Whether one is at home or work, traveling, or already sick one has to maintain good hand hygiene.

When should one wash hands?

  • Different situations can germs such as:
  • When hands are visibly soiled.
  • After using the washroom (includes changing diapers).
  • After handling garbage.
  • After blowing your nose or after sneezing in your hands.
  • Before and after eating, handling food, drinking or smoking.
  • After touching raw meat, poultry, or fish.
  • Visiting or even caring for the sick people.
  • Handling pets, animals or even animal waste.

In the above article, we will learn about Why Hand Washing is so Important for Kids and Adults

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