News release prepared by: Jane Marshall, 785-532-1519, jpm2@k-state.edu

Friday, Sept. 24, 2010

SIDEBAR: CHILDREN CAN SING WAY TO CLEAN HANDS

MANHATTAN -- After playtime, before snacks and throughout the day, tiny voices warbling "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" shower the air around Hoeflin Stone House Early Childhood Education Center on the Kansas State University campus.

Teachers at the center are stern about hand washing. To prevent the quick-dip-and-run method, children soap up and sing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" or the alphabet song.

When the song is over, they may rinse, dry on a paper towel and run. It takes 20 seconds.

That's the rule for proper hand washing: 20 seconds.

The proper hand washing steps are:

* Wet hands in warm water.

* Scrub with soap and water for 20 seconds.

* Rinse well with warm water.

* Air dry or dry with single-use towels.

K-State early childhood education teachers say the singing part is the most fun. They also say that the "Happy Birthday" song can be substituted for "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star."