Wash Your Hands With Water, Not Gel

With winter in full force, a salmonella outbreak sweaping the nation, and cold and flu season upon us, it is critical to know how to protect yourself-- Wash your hands.

Experts say that taking hand washing breaks throughout the day, in fact one every one to two hours, and not just after using the restroom can help cut down on illness. '"Eighty percent of infections are transmitted by hands touching some contaminated surface," said CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida.'

Dr. Hinda reccommends the following steps:
--Scrub vigorously.
--Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
--Pay attention to fingernails and under rings - germs love to hide in those places.
...and when asked about hand gels vs. hand washing, Dr. Hinda said that hand washing is the clear winner. While scrubing hands under soap and water can lift and remove germs and then wash them down the drain, hand gels often leave some of those germs on your hands.

So, keep yourself healthy this winter and wash up!

See the full Denver CBS4 article at http://cbs4denver.com/localhealth/hand.washing.Hnida.2.914412.html