I can not stress enough to anyone who is willing to hear how important proper hand washing is!  Often we see signs (hopefully, if not a legal requirement) of employees being reminded to wash their hands after using the restroom.  I personally wish they could have a bathroom attendant that monitored proper hand washing to ensure each guest was doing their part in slowing down the spread of something as  small as a cold to something far worse to the entire population.  I’m not even kidding.  Flu season could be a lot easier for most people if more people took the time to have healthy hands.  I don’t believe the sanitize goop is worth it if you haven’t properly washed your hands.  You’re just creating a bacteria potion that is growing on your hands leaving trail marks on everything you touch.  I have worked in a hospital before, and with kids, so I wash my hands a lot – probably a lot more than is really necessary, but I figure why chance it?

The best part is you don’t need all the fancy soaps that promise to kill ever bacteria cell in site.  Using gentle soap and warm water will do the trick each and every time.  I prefer to use a soap with aloe so it helps cut down on the dryness on my hands, and I don’t have to worry about applying lotion a million times a day.  What’s the process?  It’s simple.  Wet your hands, add soap, scrub your mits together including your wrists and between your fingers for 20 seconds, rinse off then dry.  I personally like singing, “Happy Birthday” instead of counting to twenty, but to each their own.  Let’s work together in this action.  You may not be exposed to most people during the week, but that door you opened?  A new mom with an infant probably touched it too, or an elderly person with respiratory issues could have walked in right behind you.  It’s time we all start thinking more about other than rushing out the door to get to our next destination.

 Let’s work harder to leave behind a cleaner, and healthier trail.