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Originally Posted by Banshee
I totally agree! Plus the hand sanitizer i've heard really doesn't do that great of a job killin the germs.
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Hand sanitizers do work, you just need one that contains 60% alcohol.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/health/21cons.html And unlike antibacterial soap/products with triclosan, they don't cause antibiotic resistance.
I work in childcare, so I try to keep "in the know" in regards to the latest trends in handwashing (and yes, there are trends in handwashing). Right now the procedure is to wash your hands with warm water with regular soap. We sing "Happy Birthday" or "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" while washing hands. However, washing your hands too much is NOT a good thing: your hands will dry out, your cuticles will dry out, and if your skin gets too dry, tiny cracks will open up in the skin of your hands, giving bacteria an opening.
The trick, as Crompsin suggested, is to find that happy medium. I usually wash my hands before prepping food, after using the toilet (and I double-wash, per food safety procedure, should I take a toilet break in the midst of making dinner), and after changing a diaper. I use hand sanitizer if I cough or sneeze on my hand or if I have to wipe a runny nose. If I get gunk on my hands, I wash 'em.
Otherwise I don't worry about it, and just refer to one of my mother's many maxims: "A little dirt don't hurt."