Frequent handwashing is a hygienic habit your kids should practice every day. They should always wash their hands after they have been to a public place or have touched a surface that’s been touched by multiple people.
The following surfaces are often touched by many people:
- doorknobs
- railings
- outdoor dumpsters or trash cans
- light switches
- gas pumps
- cash registers
- touch screens
- shopping carts or baskets
Handwashing with soap and water has been found to reduce more bacteria than washing with water alone. Antibacterial soap may not be necessary to use every day at home outside of healthcare settings. Regular soap and water can be effective.
Steps for washing hands effectively include:
- Rinse your hands under running water at a comfortable temperature. Warm water isn’t more effective than cold water at killing germs.
- Apply the type of soap you like best. Soaps to try include liquid formulas, foams, and those with added moisturizers.
- Work up a lather for half a minute or longer. Make sure to spread the lather on all parts of your hands and wrists, including under your fingernails and between your fingers.
- Rinse and dry thoroughly.
- If you’re using a public bathroom, use a paper towel both to turn off the faucet and turn the door handle when exiting.
Hand Washing tips for kids
Whether you’re a teacher, caregiver, or parent, it can be hard to get kids to wash their hands efficiently. Here are several tips and tricks that might help:
- Pick your child’s favorite song and have them sing it while washing their hands. If it’s a short song, have them sing it twice. They can try it once in their own voice and once as a character they love.
- Make up a song or poem that includes all the steps of good handwashing and recite it with your child often, especially after using the toilet and before meals.
- Make sure the sink is within reach of little legs and hands, at home and school.
- Use fun soaps. These can include foam, liquid soap that changes color, and those that have child-friendly scents or brightly colored bottles.
- Play a game of thumb war or finger-spell with your child while handwashing.
Good Personal Hygiene for Kids
Hygiene here simply means ‘conditions or practices conducive to maintaining health and preventing disease, especially through cleanliness’.
A good personal hygiene will help your kids stay healthy, ward off illnesses, and build better self-awareness.
It’s never too early to start teaching hygiene. You can wipe down your child’s hands after changing their diapers or before eating, brush their teeth and gums before bed, and get them into a daily bath routine. This helps you begin the process and slowly teaches them as they grow and take over the process.
Here’s a list of hygiene activities, how you can introduce them, and when is a good time to start:
Brushing teeth
You can begin brushing your baby’s teeth and gums the moment the first tooth pops up. They can brush their own teeth by about 3 years old. However, you may have to stay with them to guarantee they’re doing a good job and brushing long enough.
Play a 2-minute song when it’s time to brush teeth. That will let your little one know how long they have to brush, and they’ll get used to the process. Likewise, you may have to continue flossing for them until they’re older and can handle that task better, around age 7.
Bathing
You’ll be giving your baby baths regularly, but by about age 5, they should be able to handle this task on their own. As they’re growing and you’re supervising bath time, you should take the opportunity to teach about washing all the different body parts, especially:
- armpits
- groins
- neck
- belly
- knees
- elbows
- back
- feet
You can also use this time to teach them how to wash their hair without getting suds in their eyes — and what to do if they do.
Hand washing
Wipe your baby’s hands with a warm washcloth before mealtime, after eating, and after changing a diaper. During potty training, make washing hands an integral step in the process.
You can teach your child to sing the ABC song while they wash — it’s 20 seconds long, which is an ideal washing time.
Make it a priority to ask your child to wash their hands any time you’d like to encourage good hygiene, like before meals, after playing outside, after petting an animal, or after being near a sick friend.
Nail hygiene
You’ll clip your child’s nails when they’re a baby, but as they grow older, you can help them care for their own nails. Encourage your children to wash under their nails at each shower — a fun nail brush will help. Then, sit down with them weekly after a shower for a trim. Your nails are softer and clip more easily after a shower.
By age 7, most children should be up for the task alone
Side effects of poor personal hygiene
Good personal hygiene habits are directly related to less illnesses and better health. Poor personal hygiene habits, however, can lead to some minor side effects, like body odor and greasy skin. They can also lead to more troublesome or even serious issues.
For example, if you don’t wash your hands frequently, you can easily transfer germs and bacteria to your mouth or eyes. This can lead to any number of issues, from stomach viruses to pink eye.
Not brushing your teeth can lead to teeth issues and plaque buildup. Poor dental care is also a risk factor for several serious health issues, including heart disease.
Poor hygiene habits can also affect your self-esteem. Looking and feeling presentable can give you a confidence boost and a sense of pride in your appearance.
Other conditions may be prevented or the risk minimized by practicing good personal hygiene. These are some examples:
- scabies
- pubic lice
- head lice
- body lice
- diarrhea
- athlete’s foot
- ringworm
- pinworms
- hot tub rash
Disclaimer: The information published in this article is purely for informational and educational purposes only. The article does not intend to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and should not be treated as medical advice.
