Most cold and flu germs are passed hand-to-hand, and they love to lie in wait on doorknobs and pencils, ready to stick to your hands when you least expect it. Beat the pesky critters by washing your hands every time you come in from playing, shopping, or going to school – and before you even think about eating!

Since you can’t go through life always standing at the sink, train yourself not to put your hands in your mouth or rub your nose or eyes. It sounds disgusting, but those are the favorite entryways for germs to hop from your hands into your body.

Just follow these simple ABCD’s of hand washing, and send those germs down the drain and out of your life forever!

• A– Any soap will do, but don’t forget to use some! Water won’t do the trick by itself; you need a good lather to loosen the germs and help them slide away. And make sure you play around with the lather for a long time – the longer you rub it around, the better job it will do. Sing the ABCs if you’d like or two rounds of Happy Birthday and that should be the right amount of time!



• B – Backs of hands get dirty, too! Wash both sides of your hands and in between the fingers – all the way up to your wrists.



• C – Carry hand wipes to “wash” your hands when you’re not near a sink. Antibacterial wipes add extra germ-killing power. But, believe it or not, the grape scent doesn’t clean any better!



• D– Dry your hands with a fresh towel. Or just let them air dry, if the restroom supply is out, as usual. At home, make sure everyone in the family uses their own hand towel, and have a spare for your friends.

Reprinted from Allergy & Asthma Health magazine, Fall 2000.