How many times a day do you do IT?

I grew up on a ranch.
And my parents chose not to have TV hooked up out there.
So, I basically grew up not watching TV.

I read.
And used my imagination.
and read.
and made up whacked bedtime stories for my little sister.

Books were my world.

Why am I telling you this?

To explain my relationship with books.

Whenever there is something I don't know, I turn to books for the answer.

I'm always ordering a book from Amazon to teach me how to do something
or how to handle something...

and recently I found a book that sounded interesting.

The Experts Guide to 100 Things Everyone Should Know How To Do

100 experts explain how to do things in these short essays:

Bob Villa shares how to paint a room. Bobbi Brown shares how to apply lipstick. Peggy Post shares how to set a formal table. The Holiday Inn Housekeeper of the Year shares how to make a bed.
You get the idea.

I randomly opened this book today to share an entry with you.

It's about Washing Your Hands by Julie Gerberding. (she's the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aka CDC)


We all know how to wash our hands, right?
Do you remember who taught you how?
I don't.
It's something I've done all my life.







When I was 15, I worked as a volunteer at the Children's Hospital in Austin, Texas.
And the nurses there told me to wash my hands while singing "Yankee Doodle."
Because the length of time it took to sing was adequate time to kill germs.

Well, Dr. Gerberding suggests something similar!
Here's her instruction:

1. Wet your hands.
2. Apply liquid or bar soap.
3. Run your hands together vigorously to make a lather and scrub all surfaces (including between your fingers and under your fingernails).
4. Continue to rub your hands together for 20 seconds. It takes that long for the soap and scrubbing action to dislodge and remove stubborn germs. Sing Happy Birthday TWICE as a timer.
5. Rinse your hands well under running water.
6. Dry your hands using a paper towel or air dryer.
7. If possible, use your paper towel to turn off the faucet.

Seems basic?
makes sense?




When to do it?
before, during and after you prepare food.
before you eat.
after you use the bathroom.
after handling animals or animal waste.
when you or someone in your home is sick.
when your hands are dirty.

So, my questions for you:

Have you been washing your hands correctly? Have you ever worked in a hospital? Or volunteered there?