What You Oughta Know About Germs

Dallas Shrawder, Senior Staff Writer

handwashing_2009_eWe all know that washing our hands is very important, but do we really know how important it is?

According to experts, there are approximately five thousand germs on a person’s hands at any given time, and any of those germs can be spread to other things, people, or even parts of them. If a person were to rub their eyes or nose etc., germs from their hand could transfer into their bodies, possibly giving them an illness.

When in a public place, school in particular, it is vital to wash your hands regularly since excess germs are all around; keep in mind a school desk can hold up to 300 times more germs than a toilet seat!

When you go to wash your hands, you should wet them first, then get soap from a dispenser and rub your hands together until the soap turns into a lather. Once a lather formed, scrub your hands for at least twenty seconds- if you need a timer, sing the “Happy Birthday” song in your head two times. Lastly, if possible, dry your hands off with a paper towel and turn the faucet off, while making an effort to open the bathroom door with the paper towel. If hand soap/water is not available at the moment, the next best thing to use would be hand sanitizer; it is said to kill most germs, just not all of them.

Washing your hands is something that should be taken seriously. If you are in public places, especially one so many young people come in and out of every day, try to wash your hands any chance you get. A drop of soap a day keeps the doctor away!