Hand Washing - - -

    I still find it weird that apparently so many people are  not washing their hands enough. I have seen this problem mentioned on TV and the internet the past few years when there would be out breaks of the flu. I am seeing even more about it with the Coronavirus. I think that I wash my hands many times a day.
   So - - -
   I decided to keep a record of how many times I washed my hands in one day.
   1. When I got up in the morning.
   2. After I took the dog for her first walk of the day and put the bird feeders out.
   3. After I finished a cup of coffee and some cereal.
   4. After I inspected all my house plants out on the front porch and watered those that needed it.
   5. After I used the bathroom.
   6. After sitting and using my Kindle with the cat in my lap and I was petting her.
   7. So I could fix lunch even though I had washed just a few minutes before.
  8. After eating lunch as I had something a bit sticky on my fingers.
  9. After using the bathroom.
  10. After mowing part of the lawn.
  11. After taking the dog for another walk and getting the mail.
  12. Before staring to fix supper.
  13., 14, 15, 16 I think I washed my hands about 4 different times while fixing some  and making beans some mac and cheese.
  17, Took the dog for another walk so washed my hands since I had been petting her.
       Can I add in taking a shower here? Can that be counted as a hand washing time?
  18. Washed again before eating a couple of cookies. Wasn't sure if I had petted the dog or a cat but usually I have.
  19. Washed my hands before brushing my teeth.
  20. Cleaned the cats litter box so washed again.
  21. Washed after another round of petting and playing with the dog and the cats.

    So - - - 21 times I washed my hands in a normal day at home. There was probably more as I used the bathroom more times than those mentioned.
   Now if I had gone to the store there would have been a lot more times that I would have washed. Also, if I had done a lot more house work, like using the vacuum cleaner and mopping or dusting, or laundry, or made bigger meals there would have been a lot more hand washing as well as taking at least one shower each day.
    I don't know if this is an average number of times to be washing hands in an average day for an average person or not. I never counted before and don't know if anyone else has.
   I do think that people who work either wash their hands fewer times than I do in an average day or a lot more depending on what kind of job they do. Nurses and doctors probably wash their hands hundreds of times a day. As do waitresses, and any one that works in a kitchen. Maybe office workers don't. I remember washing only during breaks while I was doing most of the jobs I held in my life. It was usually the only chance I had to wash. Sometimes I worked office jobs and sometimes I worked as a cashier. And cashiers have to handle money. Money is one of the dirty-est things there is. My husband was a mechanic. He always had grease, oil, or gasoline on his hands. We both learned to wash our hands before we used the restroom and again afterward as do most people with those kinds of jobs.
   On the other hand - - - I had a friend that told me recently that her husband very seldom washed his hands. He drives her nuts not washing after using the restroom, and before eating. There is no way I could put up with that.
   So - - - Pandemic or not - - - -remember  - - - wash your hands. PLEASE