It's something most of us do more than seven times a day. Washing our hands. Schools are making sure their students are doing that so they don't have to miss school because they're sick.
One place with a lot of germs is a computer lab. One expert says a computer keyboard can have more than 200 times the number of bacteria than a toilet seat. Local schools are making sure kids are washing their hands to get rid of those germs.
Simeon Robinson is eight years old. She's one third grader who is no stranger to washing her hands.
"Because it keeps you from getting sick and germs," said Robinson.
The 10 Germiest Back-to-School Places
1. Backpacks
2. Gym class
3. School pools
4. Mouth Guards
5. Portable texting devices
6. Computer labs
7. Cafeteria
8. Homeroom
9. Water fountains
10. Classroom air
"It's better so you don't get sick," said 8 year old Autumn Seal.
These kids know what happens when you don't wash your hands. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 22 million school days are lost each year because of colds.
"We teach the children to cover their coughs and sneezes by doing that into their elbows," said
"If elementary schools have a "catch your cough and sneeze program" in place, students miss an average of 2.42 days per year for the upper respiratory infections," said said School Nurse Missi Deuel. "If they don't have a program in place, they lose 3.02 days per school year."
Every classroom at Quarles Elementary School in Winchester has one of these hand washing stations and some teachers tell their students that they need two pumps of soap, put soap on both sides of their hands and to wash them while singing the Happy Birthday song twice.
That's what students do in Jennifer Carper's kindergarten class.
"Sometimes, we're not able to make it to the bathroom so that's when I use the hand sanitizer," said Kindergarten Teacher Jennifer Carper.
A list of the 10 places with the most germs in schools was put together. One is right here in the classroom...backpacks. Some others are gym class, the cafeteria, and water fountains.
"In the last few years, I've noticed that they're missing less days and that's because I've been really hitting hard the sneezing and coughing into your arm not into your hands," said Carper. "And if they do sneeze or cough in their hands i make them immediately go wash their hands."
"Make sure you wash your hands," said Robinson.
© Copyright 2013 TV3 Winchester / Gray Television Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
