From desks to door handles, hands pick up germs from all around the school. This year, National Handwashing Week (December 1-7)  reminded students of the benefits of washing their hands.

“You need to get rid of dirt and germs,” Heather Kinsey, nurse, said. “The best way to do it is with soap and water.”

According to Kinsey, what one does  at the end of washing their  hands is just as important as the process.

“Make sure your hands are totally dry because germs love wet surfaces that are warm,” Kinsey said. “It’s not just washing, it’s also making sure to dry.”

Washing hands doesn’t just protect students from germs, it also helps maintain attendance records by reducing their potential risk of illnesses that would keep them out of school. According to the CDC, “handwashing with soap could protect almost 1 out of 5 young children with respiratory infections like pneumonia.”

Alongside coughing into your elbow and opening doors with your arms, 

Kinsey says one of the best ways to battle bacteria is to favor sinks over sanitizer.

“You can use hand sanitizer, but soap and water is better than hand sanitizer,” 

Kinsey said. “Hand sanitizer doesn’t always take care of all the germs, whereas soap and water takes care of all dirt and germs.”

Frequency also plays into handwashing’s effectiveness, and Kinsey says students should wash their hands throughout the day as much as possible to keep themselves from getting sick.

“Just anytime they’re dirty,” Kinsey said. “Times before you’re cooking, times you’ve gone to the bathroom, you wash your hands. You blow your nose, wash your hands. You can’t wash your hands enough in a day.”