Download Personal Hygiene Tip Sheet: English | Spanish 

Handwashing:
The most important thing you can do to keep from getting sick is to wash your hands!

Wash your hands often, especially…

• Before you eat
• Before you touch your mouth or eyes
• After you use the bathroom
• After touching animals or pets
• After you blow your nose, cough or sneeze 

    
Coughing or sneezing into your sleeve will reduce the spread of germs. 
    
Lather up with soap and warm water, wash hands front and back and between the fingers. Don’t forget your fingernails! Rinse well with warm water. 
    
To make sure you wash your hands long enough, try singing “Happy Birthday” twice! 
    
When soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizers to prevent the spread of germs. Avoid sanitizers that have too much or too little alcohol content. The alcohol content should be around 60%.

Antibiotic Resistance:

Viral infections such as colds, coughs or the flu do not need an antibiotic. Taking one will not make them go away faster!

Antibiotics can successfully treat many bacterial infections, but due to misuse, some bacterial infections no longer respond to some antibiotics. 
    
Antibiotics are strong medicines that may cause possible side effects including rashes and diarrhea. 
    
DO NOT PRESSURE your health care provider to prescribe an antibiotic if you do not have a bacterial infection. 
    
Take all medications exactly as your health care provider prescribes. 
    
Take all antibiotics until gone, even if you feel better! 
    
Do not share or save medications for yourself or others. 
    
Colds can last longer than 2 weeks – the average child gets up to 6 colds per year!