Got soap (or recycled soap)? It’s Global Handwashing Day
Recycled soap isn’t something you put in your blue bin.
Clean the World aims to save lives (specifically 1 million) by distributing recycled soap to countries in need. Simple handwashing — water and soap — can reduce the spread of diseases and germs, which can be fatal to people, particularly children, in countries that lack soap.
The nonprofit organization collects shampoo and soap from hotels and other corporate partners that go to a recycling center to be re-batched (cooked and made into new bars) or sanitized (bathed in a solution and treated). A third-party lab tests the soap for sterilization and then off it goes.
Why all the soap chatter? Today (Oct. 15) marks a day when 80 countries around the world are celebrating the simple germ-busting act of washing your hands, the Orlando Sentinel reports in the story “Wash your hands! It’s Global Handwashing Day!” For a glimpse of how one country ushered in this day of observance last year, read “Japan takes handwashing to new level” in the Los Angeles Times.
If you think you might be getting it wrong (handwashing, that is), consider the basics: use soap, scrub your hands for at least 15 to 20 seconds and dry with a paper towel or air dryer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends. Take a minute to review all of the agency’s tips in “Wash Your Hands: The Right Way.”
—Mary Forgione / Los Angeles Times