How many times did you hear that today? Probably a lot. But why
are adults so hung up on hand washing? Why are they so in love
with lather? Washing your hands is the best way to stop germs
from spreading. Think about all of the things that you touched
today — from the telephone to the toilet. Maybe you blew your
nose in a tissue and then went outside to dig around the dirt.
Whatever you did today, you came into contact with germs. It's
easy for a germ on your hand to end up in your mouth. Think
about how many foods you eat with your hands. You can't wear
rubber gloves all day long, but you can wash your hands so those
germs don't get a chance to make you or someone else sick. When
germs go down the drain, they can't make anyone sick. So when
are the best times to wash your hands? when your hands are dirty
before eating or touching food (like if you're helping cook or
bake, for example) before and after visiting a sick relative or
friend Now you have the when and the why of hand washing. But
did you know that