Feces (poop) from people or animals is a source of germs like Salmonella, E. coli O157, and norovirus that cause diarrhea, and it can spread some respiratory infections like adenovirus and hand-foot-mouth disease.

These kinds of germs can get onto hands after people use the toilet or change a diaper, but also after handling raw meats that have invisible amounts of animal poop on them.

One gram of human feces (~ the weight of a paper clip) can contain one trillion germs (1,000,000,000,000). Germs can also get onto hands if people touch any object that has germs on it because someone coughed or sneezed on it or was touched by some other contaminated object. When these germs get onto hands and are not washed off, they can be passed from person to person and make people sick.

Handwashing with soap removes germs from hands and thus helps prevent infections because:

• People frequently touch their eyes, nose, and mouth without realizing it - germs can get into the body through the eyes, nose and mouth.
• Germs from unwashed hands can get into foods and drinks while people prepare or consume them - germs can multiply in some types of foods or drinks under certain conditions.
• Germs from unwashed hands can be transferred t objects like table tops or toys - and from there to other people.

Removing germs through handwashing therefore helps prevent diarrhea and respiratory infections and may even help prevent skin and eye infections.

Teaching people about handwashing helps them and their communities stay healthy:

• Reduces the number of people who get sick with diarrhea by 31%,
• Reduces diarrheal illness in people with weakened immune systems by 58%,
• Reduces colds in the general population by 16-21%.

Handwashing is thought to be effective for the prevention of transmission of diarrhoea pathogens. Failing to sufficiently wash one’s hands contributes to ~ 50% of all foodborne illness outbreaks. Bacteria of potential faecal origin (mostly Enterococcus and Enterobacter spp.) were found after no handwashing in 44% of samples. Handwashing with water alone reduced the presence of bacteria to 23%. Handwashing with plain soap and water reduced the presence of bacteria to 8%. The effect did not appear to depend on the bacteria species. Handwashing with non-antibacterial soap and water is more effective for the removal of bacteria of potential faecal origin from hands than handwashing with water alone.

• Only 5% of people who used the bathroom washed their hands long enough to kill the germs that can cause infections (for only 6 seconds on average),
• 33% did not use soap,
• 10% did not wash their hands at all,
• 50% of men used soap, compared with 78% of women.

Washing hands under running water:

1. Wet your hands with clean water, warm or cold, apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. 
4. Rinse your hands well.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

When to wash hands: 

• Before, during, and after preparing food.
• Before eating food.
• After using the toilet.
• After touchinggarbage.
• After blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick.
• Before and after treating a cut or wound.
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet.
• After touching an animal, animal feed, or animal waste.
• After handling pet food or pet treats.

When I was little my mom taught me to wash my skin with plain oatmeal. Just found out that avenanthramides (~0.03% of dry oats weight) are powerful antioxidants with strong anti-irritant and anti-inflammatory effects on the skin - might be a good element for fruitarian skincare, and it is FDA-approved as a skin irritation relief.