Please Wash Your Hands

Scrub a dub dub!

Think back, who taught you how to wash your hands? Hand washing was a huge deal growing up in my family. We all learned to wash our hands and often at a very early age. We also learned to welcome OCD into the family, kidding, a little.

My family rarely used public restrooms growing up. I do not ever remember being taught that public bathrooms were "bad" they were just "gross" and something used ONLY under extreme circumstances. "Can you hold it or do you HAVE to go right now"? my mom would ask. Holding was the right answer but sometimes you just had to go and relieving yourself on the car dealership's floor was frowned upon. Half the roll of toilette paper would be placed on the seat with firm instructions, "Do NOT touch ANYTHING"! Your foot was used not only to sweep all the paper into the bowl but to also flush the toilette.

After using a public restroom I remember feeling slightly contaminated. Y0u know what comes after using the toilette, wash your hands! Washing your hands was an even bigger production proving "holding it" was the better option. After exiting the stall we were taught to ready the paper towels, wash hands, turn the water off but NOT with your clean hands but with the paper towel in waiting, then grab a fresh paper towel, dry your hands and leave but do not touch the door. Either gently kick it open and hope a sibling wasn't waiting on the other side or use the paper towel you just dried your hands with.

I was extremely petite growing up and could barely reach the faucet without touching the sink counter which always resulted in water running down my arms. Whatever top I was wearing would instantly become a mop for any standing counter water. The final step, to find a trash can to dispose of the paper towel you just used to open the bathroom door. Yes, All this had to be done without flesh touching anything!

Funny the things you remember. I can remember why to avoid a public restroom, but I have no solid memory of when or how I was taught to wash my hands. I just remember my mom saying, "wash your hands before you...," and all I know now is I am always washing my hands and counting.

Ask yourself the following:

• When, how often, and how long do you really wash your hands when you wash your hands?
  
• Do you use a common towel, the clothing you are wearing, jeans - shirt, air dryer, or a disposable towel to dry your hands?
  
• Do you use HOT water and soap or just a slight rinse under cold running water because your hands may fall off if overexposed to H2O?
  
• The public door knob, do you touch it with your bare hands thinking you have super powers?
  
• And finally, do you really want to eat food made by a person who does not really wash his/her hands thoroughly and wears a dirty apron or stained gloves?
  

We all think we are clean, right? Wrong! We are not. Most people do NOT wash their hands properly and as often as they should. Think of hospitals, day care centers, food service workers, nursing homes, schools, and then the rest of us.

Do you wear gloves? Why? Are you protecting yourself from the food or the food from you?
Do you wash your hands before you put on your gloves or just put on your gloves? Here is a hint, wash first then put on gloves. Do you take your gloves off and then reuse them? That is a BIG NO-NO! Do the finger tips of your gloves ever yellow? Well, you should be banned from the kitchen, and any type of cooking. Your gloves are old and worn from use, so wash your hands and put on a new pair.

I was told multiple times by a chef that as a whole, we do not wash our hands properly. "We are filthy dirty creatures" he would often say. I hate to say it, but it is true. Just observe the people around you, especially the people who are preparing your food.

Do you have 20 seconds? If not, slow down. Take the 20 seconds it takes to wash your hands and help yourself stay healthy! And use a clean disposable towel to dry! This step by step hand washing procedure is from the ServSafe Coursebook, fifth edition.

1. Wet your hands and arms with running water as hot as you can comfortably stand (at least 100 degrees F, 38 degrees C.
2. Apply soap.
3. Vigorously scrub your hands and arms for ten to fifteen seconds. Clean under fingernails and between fingers.
4. Rinse hands and arms thoroughly under running water.
5. Dry hands and arms with a single-use paper towel or warm-air hand dryer. When leaving the restroom, consider using a paper towel to turn off the faucet and to open the door.

No cheating!