Survival of influenza viruses on environmental surfaces.

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        Our Latest Grade: C-Minus - More Education Needed, Says SDA
   Clean Hands Week September 17-23 is Time to Take a Refresher Course in
                                  Hygiene

    WASHINGTON, Sept. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- The increased prevalence of
contagious skin infections, the threat of pandemic flu and the upcoming
cold season prompted The Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) to issue its
second Clean Hands Report Card(SM), giving America a "C-minus," a downgrade
from 2004, when the country received a "C."
    "It's more important than ever that people understand that clean hands
save lives," said Nancy Bock, SDA Vice President of Education. "It's the
places we're at everyday where we need to protect ourselves the most -- at
home, at work and at school -- anywhere we come in contact with other
people's germs."
    Among the findings of SDA's 2006 National Cleaning Survey:

    * 68% of respondents don't wash their hands long enough to effectively
      remove germs and dislodge dirt (worsened from 54% in 2004).  The Centers
      for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and SDA recommend washing with
      soap for at least 20 seconds.

    * 36% surveyed seldom or never wash their hands after coughing or sneezing
      (slightly improved from 43% in 2004).  One of the most common ways
      people catch colds is by rubbing their nose or eyes after touching
      someone or something contaminated with the cold virus.

    * 31% don't always wash before eating lunch (similar to 2004).  That means
      germs that come from money, door handles and the lunch counter could
      attract more bugs than just ants to the picnic.
    SDA (http://www.cleaning101.com) produced the Report Card to raise
awareness of National Clean Hands Week (September 17-23), a national health
campaign that touts handwashing as the easiest path to staying healthy. The
Report Card surveyed Americans on basic hand hygiene practices, such as
washing before a meal, after using the bathroom, and after coughing or
sneezing. The Report Card not only measured how often Americans wash daily,
but for how long, and revealed perceptions of hand hygiene. (A summary of
the Survey's other findings are available at
http://www.cleaning101.com/handhygiene).
    More Education Needed
    According to the CDC, cleaning our hands is the single most important
thing we can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illness to others.
Of those surveyed by SDA, only 50% believe that hand washing is the number
one way to prevent colds and flu. And, 31% of respondents wash their hands
fewer than seven times on an average day.
    Ninety-two percent of Americans surveyed said they always washed their
hands after using the bathroom, while five percent said they frequently
washed, and three percent said they seldom or never washed. There may be a
major gap between what people say and what they do.
    A 2005 observational study commissioned by SDA and the American Society
for Microbiology found that just 83% of people washed their hands after
using a public restroom.
    Refresher course on proper hand hygiene!

    How-to Wash Your Hands to Effectively Remove Germs

    1. Wet hands with warm running water prior to reaching for the soap,
       either in bar or liquid form.
    2. Rub hands together to make a lather. Do this away from running water,
       so the lather isn't washed away.
    3. Wash the front and back of your hands, between your fingers and under
       the nails. Continue washing for 20 seconds or more.
    4. Rinse hands well under warm running water.
    5. Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
    6. Alcohol based hand sanitizers or gels or wipes are useful alternatives
       if soap and water are not available (for example, when traveling in the
       car or taxi on the way to a business meeting, before eating an in-
       flight meal or snack, outdoor work settings, etc.)
    While routine hand washing is recommended throughout the day, according
to SDA, hand washing is vital:
    * before preparing food;
    * when eating meals and snacks;
    * after using the restroom;
    * after touching animals;
    * when hands are dirty; and
    * when you or someone around you is ill.
    SDA, which has been educating the public about health and hygiene
issues since 1926, offers a range of resources for parents, educators, and
students at its website: http://www.cleaning101.com.
    The Clean Hands Report Card(SM) was based on a survey of 1008 American
adults (508 men and 500 women). The independent consumer research study was
completed in August-September 2006, on behalf of The Soap and Detergent
Association (SDA), by International Communications Research (ICR). The
survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percent.
    The Soap and Detergent Association (http://www.cleaning101.com), the
U.S. Home of the Cleaning Products Industry(SM), is the non-profit trade
association representing manufacturers of household, industrial, and
institutional cleaning products; their ingredients; and finished packaging;
and oleochemical producers. SDA members produce more than 90 percent of the
cleaning products marketed in the U.S. The SDA is located at 1500 K Street,
NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20005.

Pardon The Germs And Insecticides