Beating Bugs with Better Hand Washing
I am a huge hand washing advocate.
Personally, I hate being sick – and I hate having sick kids! When I hear that a classmate or playmate of my kids has a stomach bug, my own stomach tightens and turns and my palms start to sweat just a little. I instinctively have the urge to wash my kids’ hands right that second!
I am not the greatest disciplinarian, but one rule that I set when Jackson was a baby was that everyone (adults too!) washes their hands every time they come in the house.
Regular hand washing is so ingrained in Jackson that he rarely questions it.
When he arrives home with a play date, he instructs the other child, “Let’s go wash our hands!” as he drops his coat and shakes off his Crocs in the middle of the living room. (Remember I said I am not the greatest disciplinarian? But hey – at least his hands are clean!) 
Occasionally, as I holler at Jackson to come back and pick up his shoes, the play date will raise his eyebrow at me and question why he has to wash his hands. Before I can answer, Jackson will bellow above the sound of the running water that it is a rule in our house. The other child then shrugs his shoulders and runs off to wash up.
I breathe a little bit easier – and sometimes pick up the Crocs and the coat.
So, when Dial Complete asked us to help promote their Campaign for Clean Hands, I thought, “Ohhhh – I can get even more hands clean! Sure – let’s help wash those germy, grimy hands out there!”
But, since I imagine most of you are already vigilant about hand washing, I also wanted to let you know that you can have a GREAT chance at winning ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS and a trip to Washington D.C. in their Clean Hands video contest. There aren’t that many entries yet and the contest doesn’t run for too much longer – so seriously – you want to enter this contest! You might win!
The site also features an online “DC Germ Blaster” video game and a variety of fun, educational hand washing materials parents can print and share with their children, including a home hand washing chart, coloring and activity sheets, bookmarks and a memory game, as well as a sweepstakes visitors can enter to win a year’s supply of Dial Complete Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash.
Visit www.campaignforcleanhands.com to enter the contests and partake in all the hand washing fun!
If your kids complain or forget about hand washing, or rush through without properly washing, (Jackson sometimes does that!) then getting them to interact with the site – and even make a video “teaching” about hand washing – might really help to get your kids excited about washing their hands! (I find that when Jackson is the “teacher,” it empowers and motivates him.)
To get you in the mood to make your own video, Jackson and I made a video too.
(Since we are Canadians, we can’t enter, but we still had fun making the video. Jackson cracks me up. I tried to get him to redo his video and leave the last part out, but nope. He insisted that was what he wanted to say. Good grief! Also, our video is longer than videos submitted to the contest should be. Please make sure you read the site for all the Campaign for Clean Hands contest guidelines.
And of course – we have some extra giveaway fun for this post too. We have three cartons of Dial Complete Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash to giveaway. If you want to be one of the three winners, just leave a comment at this post.
We will draw the winners on October 25th. This contest is open to both US and Canadian shipping addresses.
342 Comments
Can never have too much soap.
gotta have soap! thanks! imjessica@mail.com
We go thru so much handsoap at this house it’s incredible! I would love to win this!
I think handwashing is very important and feel that if more people would take the time to wash their hands properly, we could help eliminate common sicknesses that are linked to unsanitary hygiene practices.
I get that feeling in my stomach and my hands get a little sweaty too Janice! I hate that feeling! Thanks for the post, it is something that makes a big difference at our house with the illnesses.
would love to win this one! Please pick me….maybe this will convince my teenager to wash his hands
Hand washing is so important. Thanks for doing this!
I am a bit OCD so I too am a huge hand washing advocate! I think I have rubbed off on my husband and kids because they too wash their hands alot. The kids don’t mind washing their hands when I ask them to, which is several times a day, I think they love the smell of the soap (I usually buy the fruity smelling ones) and also as long as I let them “play with the water” a little while they are washing up! I figure you have to pick and choose your battles and if playing with the water a little is the way to ensure they wash their hands, then I don’t mind wiping up behind them, it is only water!! We go through so much hand soap in our home that it would be so nice to have a backup supply for a while to ensure we have enough to get us through cold and flu season which is quickly approaching us!
Particularly pertinent since there have been several recent reports of MRSA infection (one fatal) — so good timing. Thanks for the opportunity!
Our youngest is autistic, so we’ve worked for years on self-care skills, including basic hygiene stuff like washing hands — now, if we run out of soap, we definitely HEAR about it. So you are potentially helping preserve a certain peace of mind around here, thanks!
what a good story, thank you
I hate flu season with a passion! And though it’s always important to wash your hands, it is even more important right now. My son sometimes rushes the hand washing, but he loves the foaming soaps and this would really come in handy for us right now. Thanks so much for the chance to win!
Hand washing is so important. Thanks for the contest.
I have 2 daughter who use alot of this!!!!
Have a great weekend!
with 2 boys…we go through a lot of soap…
I’ve tried this before, and I love the scent and texture. I’m foamin’ at the mouth for more.
(thanks for another fun contest)
I work in a hospital lab so I know very well the importance of good hand washing, and antibacterial soap is the best kind of soap to use!
Thanks for offering this contest. Hope we win.
i would like to win since i am in need of antibacerial training
We wash our hands a lot and so would love some soap!
Great contest for the flu season and the site has great ideas!
I would love to win the soap. Please enter me.
I totally agree washing hands is a must to keep the flu season at bay.
Our house is all about the handwashing. I love Dial soap – the gold bar smell reminds me of my grandfather – he asks for that every year for Christmas
As a teacher, I used to get so annoyed that my students didn’t have a place to wash their hands before lunch. Ugh! Handwashing is the best defense from getting a nasty bug.
We know our ABC’s really well around here – that’s our handwashing song!
I take care of two 3 year olds plus my own two kids, this would be great since all of them hate when they have dirty hands.
I use this all the time around my house.
Can always use hand soap. We wash our hands constantly in our home.
I would love to win this not only to use at our house, but to share with my son’s Kindergarten class. I’m sure that a lot of thew illnesses that my family has been experiencing are oming home from his school! Thank you so much for the contest.
Hope to win! We always need soap at our house. With 6 kids we go through a lot of it!
With children in the house I need this.
I need some good handsoap. Thank you!!!
We have the little stool next to the sink so it is easier for the kids to reach. Hand washing is huge in our house as well because my hubby has weak lungs and when he gets sick it is a long recovery for him. So when the grandkids (all seven of them) come over they know hand washing at Grandma’s is a must. Of course the parents are sticklers too.
Thanks so much!
I would love to win this! Thanks for the contest!
excellent soap
Please enter me
I’m a germ freak so this would come in so handy at our house. Thanks for the great giveaway!
We’d love to try this as we go through a lot of soap in my household!
Can always use this! Thank you for the offer.
It is good to wash your hands but we all need some germs.
I would be so happy if I won a carton of Dial. I love the stuff!