Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5611 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Amelia McGrew

Regional Extension Agent

Food Safety, Preparation & Preservation

September 29, 2009

Did You Wash Your Hands?

Washing our hands might be something we all learned at a very early age, but it’s often neglected.  We’ve all witnessed the scenario:  A friend or relative uses the bathroom, walks out, doesn’t wash their hands carefully and goes on to enjoy a meal.  There are times when we may not experience any symptoms at all, and we conclude that just a little water and soap does the trick to remove the germs.  On the other hand, we may continue with the same behavior as usual, but this time is different.  We’ve enjoyed our meal and now we are sick.  We are experiencing nausea, vomiting and maybe even diarrhea.  We could possibly have a food borne illness, which could have been avoided by simple hand washing.  According to the Department of Public Health and recent studies, hand washing is the single most effective thing we can do to prevent the spread of illness. 

Germs are often transferred to others through household objects - door knobs, telephones, and faucet handles.  But the biggest means of transportation for germs is your hands. Frequent hand washing gets rid of the illness-causing germs and helps to prevent the spread of some diseases - - especially if a family member, friend or relative has a virus.  Alabama Cooperative Extension believes that education is vital in reducing the spread of germs which may cause illness.

A program called “GloGerm” continues to be used in the classrooms in Baldwin and Mobile Counties to illustrate the importance of proper hand washing to our youth. GloGerm is an interactive exhibit used with lesson plans designed to improve the effectiveness and frequency of hand washing. As part of this program, participants were asked to place their hands underneath an ultraviolet light after applying imaginary germs (a non-toxic phosphorescent lotion that will glow underneath the light) on their hands.   After using the GloGerm demonstration participants were then asked to wash their hands with soap and repeat the steps. Under ultraviolet lights, participants could see traces of lotion remaining on their hands and, thus, were able to determine the effectiveness of their hand washing techniques. This program is used with children, adults, senior citizens, and at risk populations.  

Many health experts consider hand washing to be the single most important way to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, as hands are the most common way germs spread. Therefore, it is important to practice proper hand washing techniques. Follow these simple steps:

-Wet hands with warm, running water.

-Add soap and rub your hands to make a lather. Do this away from the running water so you won't wash suds away.

-Wash front and back of hands, between the fingers and under the nails for 20 seconds.

-Rinse hands well under running water to wash away the germs that are suspended by the soap.

-Dry hands thoroughly with a clean paper towel and then use the towel to turn off the faucet.

For questions concerning proper hand washing you can call your local County Extension Office.  Amelia McGrew can be reached at (251) 574-8445 or via email at mcgreaj@aubur n.edu.

Email address: mcgreaj@aces.edu

Phone number: (251) 574-8445

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.