"Did you wash your hands?"

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.

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)
after using the bathroom
after blowing your nose or coughing
after touching pets or other animals
after playing outside
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 a lot of people don’t know how to get their paws perfectly clean?