So I apparently missed celebrating Global Hand Washing Day. I read about it last night, only to discover that it was held on Oct. 15. I was eight days late.
Now, you may be wondering, how does one celebrate Global Hand Washing Day, especially since we hope everyone washes his or her hands more than once a year?
As far as I can tell, it’s a holiday sponsored by various organizations, including UNICEF, USAID-HIP, the CDC and, unsurprisingly, soap companies.
The goal is to encourage good hand-washing techniques throughout the world and to spread the word about the benefits of scrubbing with soap and water. This year, it was celebrated in 70 countries.
You may question how I discovered such a holiday. It’s simple, really. I read a rather disturbing article about hand washing in the New York Times the other day, and was trying to find it again. One of the links that came up in Google was for Global Hand Washing Day (click HERE). As an aside, their little logo thing is adorable.
The study I read, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, freaked me out a bit. People who don’t wash their hands are at the top of my pet peeves list. Really. Quite simply, it’s gross.
And, apparently, less than a third of men in this study used soap when washing their hands. Women fared only slightly better. They used soap 64% of the time.
But really, no matter how you slice those stats, it’s gross.
My favorite part of the study was the researcher's attempt to figure out what phrases prompted people to wash their hands more thoroughly. While women responded best to any slogan that used the word “germs,” men responded worst to those messages. What catchphrase most inspired men to wash their hands? "Wash it off now or eat it off later." To which I can only say: gross.
You can read a more thorough summary of the article HERE.
I’m a slight hypochondriac. I’ll admit it. But it seems with all the discussion of an impending swine flu epidemic, the least we can all do is wash our hands.
Experts say you should spend around 20 seconds each time you wash your hands, or around two run-throughs of “Happy Birthday.” I wouldn’t suggest singing out loud in a public restroom, but, hey I’d rather you do that than not wash your hands.
Have a good weekend everybody.
