Wash Your Hands After Contact With Animals

With fair season being under way the Barron County Department of Health and Services would like to remind everyone the importance of washing your hands after coming in contact with animals. Any time you come in contact with animals or their environment washing your hands can help you stay healthy.

Common times you should wash your hands:

• After touching animals or their living area
• After leaving the animal area
• After taking off clothes or shoes that were worn in areas where animals were present
• After going to the bathroom
• Before preparing food
• Before eating or drinking
• Any other time your hands may have picked up germs

Washing your hands is a quick and effective way to decrease your chance of getting sick. There are five easy steps to washing your hands.

The five simple steps to proper handwashing are:

• WET your hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap, and apply soap.
• LATHER your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.
  • Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• SCRUB your hands for at least 20 seconds.
• RINSE your hands well under clean, running water.
• DRY your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

To find out more about handwashing visit: cdc.gov/handwashing