Hand washing with soap and water is one of the most important steps you can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to loved ones. Many diseases are spread by not cleaning your hands properly after touching contaminated objects or surfaces. And although not all germs are bad, illness can occur when harmful germs enter our bodies through the eyes, nose, and mouth. That’s why it is critical to wash hands at key times, such as after a flood or during a flu pandemic, when germs can be passed from person to person and make others sick.
Here are three key reasons why you should always care about handwashing:
1) Handwashing can keep children healthy and in school. Handwashing education can reduce the number of young children who get sick and help prevent school absenteeism.
2) Handwashing can help prevent illness. Getting a yearly flu vaccine is the most important action you can take to protect yourself from flu. Besides getting a flu vaccine, CDC recommends everyday preventive actions including frequent handwashing with soap and water.
3) Handwashing is easy! Effective handwashing is a practical skill that you can easily learn, teach to others, and practice every day to prepare for an emergency.
4) Alcohol-based sanitizers can reduce about 97% of the bacteria on your hands.
5) Proper hand hygiene can reduce absenteeism at work by up to 40%.
6) Employees who use sanitizer at least five times each workday are about 67% less likely to get sick.
7) 30 seconds of using hand sanitizer kills a much bacteria as two full minutes of handwashing.
8) Offices with a sanitation program report 24% fewer claims for hand hygiene preventable diseases.
9) Stop the Spread of Germs: According to studies, 1 in 5 people don’t regularly wash their hands. Of those who do, 70% don’t use soap. Providing hand sanitizer in key areas (including bathrooms and kitchens) makes it more likely that people will use it to kill harmful bacteria.
10) Promote Good Hygiene and Health: According to studies, 1 in 5 people don’t regularly wash their hands. Of those who do, 70% don’t use soap. Providing hand sanitizer in key areas (including bathrooms and kitchens) makes it more likely that people will use it to kill harmful bacteria.
11) Reduce Waste: As an extra precaution, many people will use paper towels to open doors when leaving bathrooms or kitchens. Placing hand sanitizers near exits makes it easy for people to defend themselves from germs without needing to create additional mess.
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