Simple but true: Handwashing keeps us healthy by removing germs that cause respiratory and stomach/gastrointestinal illnesses.

How to wash hands:

1. Wet hands with warm water.
2. Lather with soap.
3. Scrub hands for 20 seconds. (That’s where singing Happy Birthday comes in!) Don’t forget wrists, backs of hands, between fingers, and under nails.
4. Rinse with running water.
5. Dry with a clean towel or air dryer.

When to wash hands: Before, during, and after preparing food; before and after eating; after using the restroom; after caring for someone who is sick; before and after treating a cut or wound; after changing a diaper or helping a child use the toilet; after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing; after handling an animal or animal waste; after touching garbage.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, go.iastate.edu/SLEVAQ