We probably all remember back as children how we’d play all day, then get called in at the end of the day and hear, “wash your hands before supper” or “wash your hands before bed” or similar phrases. Today, hand washing is no longer limited to just before eating or going to bed. Many even go so far as to wash their hands while they’re outdoors. Here are three reasons why handwashing in the outdoors may be an excellent idea. It might even be extremely important.
1. Germs
The great outdoors is filled with germs from animals, garbage, people and even nature itself. Washing your hands while outdoors is every bit as important as washing them indoors; in fact, it may be more important because you don’t know what you’re touching. There are a million germs outdoors and getting them off your skin as soon as possible is the first step toward avoiding germs that can cause poisoning or other illnesses.
2. Infections
When you’re touching things outdoors, you’re not only picking up germs from the elements but you’re also touching things that may have been touched by others. You don’t know who’s been there before you and what they touched. By washing your hands, you’re protecting yourself from any possible infections or diseases that might have been spread by those before you.
3. Allergies
Allergies seem to be everywhere. There are more allergen outdoors than ever before, or at least it seems that way. Every time you touch an unfamiliar object and then touch yourself, you’re at risk of spreading an allergy. If you’re not in the habit of handwashing in the outdoors, you could be spreading some allergic compound into your eyes, which could result in both short- and long-term damage to your eyes or vision.
Featured Image from Yogendra Singh/Unsplash
