Something to Consider
Virginia Leary Getz,
School Counselor


Wash Those Hands!!!

The Bugs Stop Here

 If you touch a surface after it's been recently contaminated, there's a 60 percent chance you'll pick up its germs, says a 2007 University of Virginia study.

FUELED BY FLU FEARS, HAND SANITIZER SALES SPIKED 71 PERCENT LAST YEAR. BUT TO BE REALLY CLEAN, YOU CAN'T BUY JUST ANY BOTTLE
Not every bathroom sink has antibacterial soap, so it helps to be prepared. When used properly, hand sanitizers rid your hands (and you) of illness-causing bacteria and viruses-even the flu. Follow these tips to find the strongest kind and use it to its fullest potential.

Check the alcohol content

Most hand sanitizers use alcohol to kill germs, but make sure you buy one with at least 60 percent alcohol; it won't be as effective with less, warns the CDC. Major brands offer that amount— Germ-X has 63 percent and Purell has 65 percent— but some budget brands may contain less. However, don't assume that super-concentrated is better. A recent American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC) study found that sanitizer with 95 percent alcohol doesn't have enough moisture to work properly.

Look for moisturizer

Alcohol can dry your skin, and excessive sanitizer use can make your hands uncomfortable, rough, or even cracked—especially in winter. If you're prone to skin dryness, help yourself out by buying a bottle of sanitizer that's infused with a moisturizer. Aloe vera is one of the most common additives; it moistens your hands and has been shown to boost the sanitizer's microbe-fighting power, according to another AJIC study. Purell with Aloe is one good choice.

Soak your hands

If you can rub your hands dry in 15 seconds, you didn't use enough sanitizer. In a University of North Carolina study, a silver-dollar-size dollop—7 grams—killed germs more than twice as effectively as 3 grams did. That amount will take 30 seconds or more to rub dry.

Use wipes and gel

Gels are often thought to be better than wipes, but that may not be the case. A recent AJIC study found that when gels and wipes have the same amount of alcohol, wipes kill almost 50 percent more of certain types of bacteria than gels do. Buy gel for when you're on the go, but keep a box of wipes around the office. We like Sani-Hands wipes.

Your stuff is dirty

Clean weekly with sanitizing wipes, and you won't need to disinfect your hands every time you touch your things, says Chartes Gerba, Ph.D., the author of a recent University of Arizona germ study. These are his estimates of the number of bacteria colonies found on office items.
[Image Omitted - Rights Not Included Per Publisher's Instruction]

No, seriously: Employees must wash hands before returning to work

This classic directive just isn't enough of a reminder for some folks. If you suspect your coworkers aren't washing their hands after using the bathroom, try hanging a sign that says, "Is the person next to you washing with soap?" In a recent study in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers found that those exact words most effectively sent people to the sink.

34 PERCENTAGE OF MEN WHO DON'T WASH THEIR HANDS

Title: The Bugs Stop Here

Source: Men's Health 25 no2 Mr 2010 p. 64

ISSN: 1054-4836

Publisher: Rodale, Inc.

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