With the holiday season approaching, most of us will be busy with shopping for gifts, decorating, school plays, cooking and spending time with family near and far. Nobody has time to be sick, especially moms! The winter germ season is also upon us with the colder weather and everyone staying inside more. This is why I'm excited about the Purell 30 Day Caring & Sharing Challenge beginning Monday, Nov 17th.
It has been reported that 80% of germs are transmitted by the hands. Think about all the things our busy hands touch throughout the day; shopping carts, door knobs, desks and the list goes on & on. We involuntarily touch our face throughout the day and this puts us at risk for illness & infection by spreading the germs to our mouths, nose & eyes. This is why good hand hygiene, especially this time of the year, is so important. In fact, hand hygiene is one of the most important preventive measures we can take to reduce the spread of illness-causing germs.
The 30 Days of Sharing and Caring Sweepstakes is designed to provide families with a fun way to develop hand hygiene habits that can help keep both parents and kids healthy not only during the holiday season, but all year long. Studies show that by using PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer three times a day for 30 days can help reduce the risk of getting sick.1 In fact, another study done by the makers of PURELL showed that absenteeism caused by illness was a whopping 51% lower in classrooms where PURELL hand sanitizer was used regularly and a proper hand hygiene program was implemented.
The 30 Days of Sharing and Caring sweepstakes begins Monday, November 17th at 9 AM Central time and runs through Tuesday, December 16th. During this time, challenge participants will be asked to complete daily challenges that include reading a story as a family, baking cookies for your neighbors or doing the dishes for someone else. Plus, once you register, you are eligible to win great prizes including seasonal JELLY WRAP™ Carriers, a weekly prize of a $100 gift card, and a grand prize of $5,000.
My family & I will be participating in this fun challenge. I think it's a great way to use the holiday season to show we care for others, and for each challenge you complete, you earn another entry for the great prizes! I will be updating in the next few weeks with some of challenges my family completes and would love to hear about yours. You will also be able to earn extra entries by sharing the 30-Day Challenge on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, Pinterest & email.
Hand Hygiene Tips
This challenge also serves as a great reminder to remember the key moments to practice hand hygiene.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, these are the key times we should wash or hands, or use hand sanitizer:
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Before, during and after preparing food;
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Before eating;
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Before and after caring for someone that is sick or around someone that is ill;
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Before and after treating a cut or wound;
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After using the bathroom;
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After blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing;
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After changing diapers;
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After handling pet food or pet treats; and
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After touching anything that may be a transmission vector of infection causing germs, such as subway railings, grocery carts, diapers, raw food, animals and trash.
To learn more and to register for the 30-Day Challenge, go to purell30dayholiday.com.
1Tamimi, A.H., Carlino, S., Edmonds, S., Gerba, C.P.; Impact of an Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer Intervention on the Spread of Viruses in Homes Food and Environmental Virology; June 2014
** I received compensation for my participation in the 30-Day Challenge.
