The cold is coming. Not just in the weather, but in our bodies. When the temperatures change, many people tend to get sick. The stress from homework, research papers and tests doesn’t help.

Although getting sick is part of life, it doesn’t have to be a major part of your life if you follow one simple rule. Always keep your hands clean. Each day, you go to many different places and touch many different things. Who knows what you’re really touching half the time. Public places are the perfect spots for bacteria to collect. If you don’t have clean hands and proceed to touch your face, there is a good chance that you will get sick. Here are some ways to ensure having clean hands:

First, wash your hands as frequently as possible. Wash your hands after you touch a door handle, a table, public railings, or anything that multiple people are able or forced to touch. They are covered with germs and not sterilized as often as they should be. Washing your hands throughout the day will keep you clean and your immune system healthy.

If there isn’t a sink or water source available to you, it is a good idea to carry antibacterial soap or cleaning wipes that kill germs that you come into contact with. If you’re a girl, miniature bottles that fit in purses are great to keep with you at all times, and if you’re a male or female, keeping antibacterial hand sanitizer in your car makes sure that you are prepared wherever you go.

Many people don’t know how to wash their hands correctly. We often forget the little singing rhymes that were taught to us as children and don’t clean our hands properly. According to About.com, the following steps will provide the best way to ensure squeaky-clean hands.

Proper Steps to Good Hygiene: Washing Your Hands The Right Way

1. Wet hands with warm running water prior to reaching for soap, either in bar or liquid form.
2. Rub hands together to make a lather. Do this away from running water, so the lather isn’t washed away.
3. Wash the front and back of hands, between fingers and under nails. Continue washing for 15 seconds or more.
4. Rinse hands well under warm running water.
5. Dry hands thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
6. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers or gels or antibacterial wipes are useful alternatives if soap and water are not available (for example, when traveling in the car or taxi on the way to a business meeting, before eating an in-flight meal or snack, or at outdoor work settings, etc.)

Why is washing your hands important?

“It is the number one way of preventing illness by not spreading germs,” said Matthew Long, the Biola EMT.

He also said that “it is really important [to wash your hands] before eating. Even though you don’t think your hands are dirty, they collect germs throughout the day.”

There are many ways to avoid being sick during the changing of seasons, but washing your hands is without a doubt, the easiest way to do so. As college students, it is difficult to go out of our way to do anything but homework, work, let alone a social life. But remember, this is a small step that could affect your workload and free time in a positive way. Remember to keep washing your hands with soap and water and try to carry antibacterial soap with you wherever you go. These tips will help to ensure a healthy time during the weather changes and your everyday life