October 2004

It’s official: cold and flu season is here. I picked up my first virus a few weeks ago.

Who knows how or where I acquired it — a door handle, a handshake, a tabletop or a light switch?

The rate at which we spread communicable illnesses is near epidemic. Americans received a “C” for hand hygiene on the Soap and Detergent Association’s 2004 Clean Hands Report Card. The report card, released in September, surveyed Americans on basic hand-hygiene practices, such as washing before meals, after using restrooms, and after coughing or sneezing.

Here’s the good news: Most people (90 percent) say they always wash their hands after using restrooms. The bad news: Only 43 percent wash after coughing or sneezing.

While we can’t make people wash their hands, we can provide the means (plenty of soap and paper products) for them to do so. It sounds easier than it really is (see the soap and paper dispensers article), but housekeeping departments can’t afford to ignore their role in combating disease.

Sometimes the best-laid plans regarding dispenser choice and maintenance still can’t eliminate cross-contamination. To protect us all from the non-handwashing sneezers and coughers, wipe down as many surfaces as possible on a regular basis.