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An illuminating hygiene lesson  Chemistry and biology students at Harding University High got a chance to see how effectively they wash their hands Jan. 24. Thirty-one students used a special lotion and placed their hands under a black light that detects bacteria and germs. They were then asked to wash their hands with soap and water and place them back under the light. The results revealed a lot of germs. Senior Annese Armstrong had to wash her hands twice to remove all the germs. “This experiment was eye-opening because I never thought about how important it is to thoroughly wash your hands,” said Annese. “I will certainly take more time to clean my hands from now on.” According to DEB SBS (an international soap and skin-care company in Stanley, NC) educational trainer Sally Sebastyn, 68 percent of Americans either do not or do not properly wash their hands after using the bathroom. DEB SBS conducted the demonstration as part of its public-education campaign on proper hand washing. The company supplies hand soap and hand-soap dispensers to CMS.   “Hand washing is one of the best methods of reducing the spread of disease-causing bacteria and viruses,” said Sebastyn. “People can help prevent catching the common cold by simply washing their hands properly.” The company’s research found that students come in contact with nearly 10 million germs each day on desks, doorknobs, computer keyboards, telephones, writing utensils and other items. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and clean water. Sebastyn suggested singing “Happy Birthday” as a 20-second indicator.   The students asked questions after the experiment and received fact sheets on washing hands. International Baccalaureate (IB) Chemistry students Dharmesh Khant and Ezelle Sanford both plan to share what they learned with other students and family members. “It’s important for us to stay healthy because we have so many classes together,” said Ezelle. “This is our senior year, so we can’t afford to get sick.” Sebastyn said DEB SBS wants to help reduce the approximately 22 million school days missed each year due to the common cold. The CDC also reports more than 52 million cases of common colds occur annually among Americans under the age of 17. For more information on proper hand washing, visit www.cdc.gov/cleanhands.   Last update: Thursday, January 7, 2010 at 2:24:52 PM Disclaimer: We have made every reasonable attempt to ensure our webpages are educationally safe and do not contain any links to any questionable materials or anything that can be deemed in violation of the CMS Internet Acceptable Use Policy. In compliance with Federal Law, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools administers all education programs, employment activities and admissions without discrimination against any person on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age or disability.