Washing your hands has always been extremely important in order to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses, and to remove bacteria, dirt, grease, microorganisms or any other harmful unwanted germs, but it is vital today during the COVID-19 pandemic. Global Handwashing Day, which is celebrated on October 15, was first celebrated in 2008, an ideal day to remind us of the importance and seriousness of the action. It was founded by the Global Handwashing partnership.

People should wash their hands multiple times a day, at least 10. To be truly effective, you must wash them for at least 20-30 seconds, at least long enough to sing the whole Happy Birthday song. Washing hands for at least that amount of time “reduces bacterial counts by about 90%. When another 15 seconds is added, bacterial counts drop by close to 99.9%” (Harvard Health) .

After washing your hands, remember to dry them. Drying your hands is an important part of the process. Leaving your hands moist or wet can increase the chance of recontamination to any germs or bacteria. While there are times that there is not any soap or water nearby, hand sanitizers are a great option, so long as they have at least 60% alcohol.

During the pandemic, washing your hands grows in importance because the virus itself is made up of genetic material wrapped in a fatty coating, according to World of Molecules.  Soap molecules can easily disrupt the lipid membrane that’ll cause the wrapped material to fall apart. The physical action of scrubbing your hands can also dislodge virus particles stuck inside your skin cells, which can also greatly reduce your chances of getting COVID-19 or other harmful viruses.

The best thing we can do right now is follow the safety guidelines, and if you’ve gotten lax about them, start with celebrating Global Handwashing Day. We could not have prevented the pandemic but we sure can slow the spread, and we need to do it carefully. Washing your hands too often or using hand sanitizer that strips your hands of healthy oils and good bacteria needed to fight off germs can be bad for you, because these practices allows germs to easily get into your hands. To combat that experience it’s recommended to apply a moisturizing hand cream or lotion after using those hand sanitizers or hand soaps.