I’m a pre-k teacher, and we teach the children about the importance of washing your hands, covering your sneezes, etc. There is some debate, though, about which is more sanitary, bar soap or liquid soap. If little Alexis sneezes into her hand, then goes to wash her hands, but only rubs her germy hand across the bar of soap, isn’t she leaving her germs on the soap for the next person to pick up when they wash their hands? Some of my co-workers claim that liquid soap is “safer”, but then one of them says that when a person touches the pump, they’re leaving germs on the pump as well!
Also, does anyone know how long germs can survive outside teh body? For example, if John coughs into his hands, then picks up a plastic toy putting his germs on it, then 5 minutes later another child picks up the toy, will the second child get John’s germs? If Tori covers her sneeze and then puts her germ-laden hands all over my smock, will I get her germs on me when I take off my smock?
I’m considering if I should bring in my own soap to use, because I seem to get every cold/illness that the children bring in, and I know for a fact some of them are not good hand-washers. Either my own soap or start wearing a surgical mask!
Thanks for your help!
'tain’t the soap that’s the problem, it’s the lack of dedication to the fine art of hand washing by the wee 'uns (and many grownups) thats the culprit. In the medical profession, the regimen that is recommended is to use warm to hot water, soap to lather, and rub hands together for 20 seconds before rinsing & wiping off with a clean paper towel, then using a fresh paper towel or an elbow to turn off the faucet. And this is not for Operating Room sterility washing, but just what’s expected of us health care types before and after touching patients or using the washroom.
When I follow this procedure, I’m a lot less sick each year. When I cut corners, I get more viruses. So if you want to do the same, ie reduce viral infections, wash a lot! I doubt you’ll have much luck getting the kids to reduce their germ load, but you can reduce your own exposures. And personally I don’t buy into the antibacterial soap stuff. Plain old bar soap or liquid will be fine, if you use it properly.
On a dry surface, most communicable viruses die in minutes. In warm moisture, they can last longer, but I don’t think it’s more than a few hours for most. I don’t have a cite, but it’s what I vaguely remember from reputable medical journals.
Qadgop, MD
Might I add that it’s a good idea to teach kids to sneeze into the crook of their arm, NOT into their hands. - Jill
What happened to handkerchiefs? Are they passe? Well, then, how about kleenex? Personally, I use a handkerchief.
I heard a Newsmagazine show discussing this topic (can’t remember which), that said ordinary bar soap will strip the shell of a flu virus in a matter of seconds. If this is the case, than I do not need to mention that using a bar of “community” soap is perfectly fine. If a spider will die if you spray it with bug spray - it’s not going to last very long floating in the stuff either. The beauty of soap is that it’s self-cleaning!!! heh 
kevsnyde is right. I wouldn’t lose any sleep worrying about infection spread through soap - either kind. It would be great if we got to the point where that was a major concern.
As for the life span of “germs”, well, that depends on what germs you’re talking about. Anthrax spores can last for at least decades. HIV survives for seconds to minutes outside the body. Some respiratory viruses are spread through inanimate objects, some have to spread directly from person to person.
Germs are easy to deal with, viruses on the other hand are not. Viruses are trickly little buggers that last a long time.
BTW: once you touch that faucet with your dirty hands & then wash, then touch faucet again, you just put the crap back on your hands. Of course QM has a special faucet that goes on when your body is near it so this doesn’t happen.
MOst of school germs/viruses are on door handles.
[[MOst of school germs/viruses are on door handles.]]
I don’t know if this is true, but certainly germs are spread by what we - and others - touch with our hands. This is why it’s good to sneeze into the crook of your arm instead of your hand and why hankerchiefs are bad. It’s basically a cloth that you handle that is laden with germs. You can also get that “Hand Sanitizer” stuff, which is good for teachers to have on their desk as they work with little germ machines.
True, but not as * much * crap is on your hands in total—you’ve mechanically removed a vast majority. And many micobes can’t breach first line defenses if their numbers aren’t hefty enough to get through.
Well, aren’t they your germs? Aren’t they germs that have already been in your body? Perhaps it’s well that they are out of your body, but you’re not going to get a new disease. Admittedly, tissue paper would be more sanitary.
[[Well, aren’t they your germs? Aren’t they germs that have already been in your body? Perhaps it’s well that they are out of your body, but you’re not going to get a new disease.]]
Okay, but I ain’t shaking hands with you.
Just kiss me.
Also depends on where in your body they are. A bacteria that is normally found on the outside of your skin might be pathogenic if it gets into a cut. You can get a urinary tract infection if bacteria from your rectum get into your urethra. Different parts of your body have different environments, different “normally occurring” bacteria and different defensive systems.
“You can get a urinary tract infection if bacteria
from your rectum get into your urethra.”
True, but then the kids are only a few years old.
Teach kids to wash after using the bathroom & before eating. Maybe give them a little star each time they do that.?