Healthy Hand Habits in Schools During Cold and Flu Season

Everyday habits for students and staff during cold and flu season

By: Richard Rich

As the fall semester winds down, schools head into cold and flu season. Colds, flu and RSV spread easily wherever children gather. Most cases are mild and clear up on their own, but some can be serious, especially for young children and people with health conditions.

Schools see a lot of close contact, and kids don’t always wash their hands well. That is why public health agencies such as the CDC put everyday habits at the center of their school guidance: washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning shared surfaces, staying home when sick, and staying up to date on recommended vaccines.

1. Make handwashing easy

Washing with soap and water is the first choice. Build time for it into the day, especially after using the restroom, before eating, after recess, and after coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose. Teach the 20-second scrub and keep sinks stocked.

2. Keep hand sanitizer where there is no sink

When soap and water aren’t handy, the CDC recommends hand sanitizer as the backup. Place it at classroom doors, in the cafeteria line, in gyms and on buses. Hands that are visibly dirty or greasy still need soap and water.

For schools that want an alcohol-free option, I.C. Hand Sanitizing Cream uses benzalkonium chloride as its active ingredient instead of alcohol. It is a moisturizing cream with shea and sunflower butters, which helps with the dry, cracked hands that frequent washing can cause. Use it as directed on the label.

3. Teach respiratory etiquette

Cover the mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, throw the tissue away, then clean hands. No tissue? Use the elbow, not the hands.

4. Clean shared surfaces

Clean frequently touched surfaces such as desks, door handles, light switches and water fountains on a regular schedule. Clean first to remove dirt, then use an EPA-registered disinfectant where needed, following its label.

5. Stay home when sick

Encourage students and staff to stay home when they are sick, and follow your local health department’s guidance on when to return.

The bottom line

No single product keeps a school healthy. Steady habits do the work: washing hands, using sanitizer when there is no sink, covering coughs, cleaning shared surfaces and staying home when sick. Keeping hands comfortable makes it easier for people to keep up those habits all season.

Sources: CDC guidance on preventing the spread of infections in K-12 schools, and CDC “Clean Hands” guidance.