Wash Hands and Surfaces Often

Why Is Handwashing Important?

Children in diapers present special health challenges for other children and for child care providers. According to some studies, diarrhea is 30 percent more common in day care children than in children cared for at home, and day care workers have higher rates of diarrheal illness.

Remember these handwashing instructions:

• Wash with soap and warm, running water
• Scrub for 20 seconds
• Rinse
• Dry with a paper towel

View the short video clip about the importance of handwashing.

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When to Wash?

In the bathroom

• AFTER using the toilet
• AFTER changing diapers (remember to wash the hands of the diapered child too!)
• AFTER helping a child at the toilet
• WHENEVER hands come in contact with body fluids including vomit, saliva, and runny noses
• AFTER playing outside or touching animals

In the kitchen

• BEFORE fixing or eating food
• AFTER touching raw meat, raw poultry, raw fish, or raw eggs
• AFTER meals and snacks

Germs on the Run!

To make sure you and the children wash your hands long enough, sing this song twice while you wash your hands. It’s also fun!

Washing hands can be fun, fun, fun
Germs on the run, run, run
Power em out–Pow!
Power em out–Ka-zow!
Germs on the run, run, run

View the short video clip about the handwashing song.

	Remedies Handwashing is key. Diarrheal outbreaks could be cut in half by requiring staff to wash their hands and the child’s hands, after changing diapers.