subject: Hand Sanitizer Makes Its Way To The School Supply List [print this page] Instead of the traditional back-to-school supply list of pencils, notebooks and erasers, now it's hand sanitizer, paper cups and Clorox. Schools are one of the most troublesome areas for spreading germs and illness, especially because germs usually spread through hand to hand contact. We are therefore relying on young children to appropriately wash their hands and refrain from touching their mouths, eyes and noses.
Lets properly understand the role hand sanitizer plays in fighting the spread of illness in schools. Sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol is capable of killing 99.99% of germs that can lead to illness. While you washing simply washes off the germs. The common misconception is that hand sanitizer is more drying to the skin, however that is incorrect. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the use of hand sanitizer in addition to regular washing of the hands, or when a washroom is not in reach.
Preventing illness in school doesn't end with putting hand sanitizer on the school supply list. We must speak to our children and demonstrate to them from a young age just how to properly take care of their hands. That includes thoroughly washing their hands and watching as they do it themselves. Plus ensuring they are using enough soap, lathering and rinsing appropriately.
In 2009 the outbreak of the H1N1 virus had an impact on schools and how they approach hand cleanliness. At that points hundreds of thousands of sanitizing units were added to school lunchrooms, offices and classrooms world-wide. As a more positive outcome, this made us step up and make sanitizing and proper hygiene is schools a priority. Schools will only be as clean as the children in it. Speaking to the children and keeping hygiene on the forefront of everyone's mind will be the number one way to help reduce the spread of germs in schools.
