About Antibacterial Soaps

Drug store shelves are full of the trendy antibacterial soaps, but studies have shown that these antibacterial products are no better than regular soaps at removing dirt and germs. Some infectious disease experts have even suggested that using antibacterial soaps may kill normal bacteria and increase the chances of resistant bacteria growing.

The best solution is to wash your child's hands with warm water and ordinary soap that does not contain antibacterial substances (for example, triclosan). Using soap and water on a regular basis is better than using dry (and usually alcohol-based) soaps, gels, rinses, and sanitizing gel when your children's hands are visibly dirty (kids often have dirt on their hands! !). However, when a sink is not available (eg in the car), sanitizing gels can be a useful alternative.

How Long To Wash Your Hands

Keep in mind that although washing your hands for 20 seconds sounds like an instant, it is longer than you think. Take the time the next time you wash your hands. Watch your child wash his hands to make sure he is creating good hygiene habits. Choose a song that is 20 seconds long and sing it while you wash your hands. Encourage your child not only to wash his hands at home. They should also be washed at school, at friends' houses, and elsewhere. It is an important habit that you must incorporate and that as you might expect, you will find it difficult to quit!

Steps To Wash Your Hands Properly

So what does a deep hand washing mean? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the following steps:  

·         Get your child's hands wet.

·         Apply clean bar soap or liquid soap to hands and then place the bar on a rack where it can drain before the next hand wash.

·         Rub your hands together vigorously. Scrub each surface completely.

·         Keep scrubbing and scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds to effectively kill germs.

·         Rinse your hands completely and then dry them.