Congrats to Jennifer Auer, the winner of the Wet Ones giveaway!  Look out for an email!

KEEPING HANDS CLEAN IS KEY IN MAINTAINING GOOD HEALTH AS KIDS HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL
 
Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes and Renowned Pediatrician Dr. William Sears Offer Moms Tips for Healthy School Year
 
SHELTON, Conn.  – As kids head back to school, good health starts with clean hands. With the new school season approaching, many moms are looking for an extra hand to help keep their kids healthy and reduce sick days.  In fact, elementary school students who do not use proper hand hygiene will miss more school than those that do employ good hand-washing habits, according to an American Journal of Infection Control study. [1]
 “Scientists estimate that 80 percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted through hands, so it’s important for children to learn to keep their hands clean all year long,” said renowned pediatrician and author of more than 40 books on childcare,  William Sears, M.D.  “Soap and water are not always accessible throughout the school day, so an effective way to keep hands clean and germ-free is to use an antibacterial wipe like Wet Ones® hand wipes, which parents can pack in lunchboxes and book bags.”
In addition to teaching children about clean hands, parents can follow other simple tips to start the new school year off on the right foot.  Dr. Sears offers the following five tips to keep students healthy, from brain to body:
 
1.      Begin the Day with a Brainy Breakfast: Children who start the day with a “brainy breakfast” that includes protein, fiber-filled carbs, Omega-3 fats and minerals like calcium and iron, do better in school and have fewer sick days.
 
2.      Keep Hands Clean:  The first and easiest line of defense against the spread of germs is washing hands often, but when soap and water are not available, antibacterial wipes like Wet Ones® hand wipes are an effective alternative. Wet Ones® antibacterial wipes are proven to be just as effective as gel hand sanitizer in killing 99.99 percent of germs but they also clean away dirt and messes and won’t dry out skin like alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Keep them around the house, in lunchboxes and in pockets.
 
3.      Feed Your Child Immune-Boosting Foods: The best way to boost the immune system is to increase the intake of fruits, vegetables, seafood and yogurt.
 
4.      Keep Little Noses and Sinuses Clear:  Germs often settle first in the nose and sinuses, so it’s important to keep kids’ nasal passages clear by either flushing them out with a saltwater solution or loosening secretions with a facial steamer or vaporizer.
 
5.      Keep Your Children Active: Movement mobilizes the immune system.  Kids who sit too much – especially indoors – get sick more often.  Movement also mellows the mood, as stress depresses the immune system. 
 
For more information on Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes and for a list of 99 back-to-school tips for parents, visit www.WetOnes.com.
 
About Wet Ones® Wipes Products:
Wet Ones® is a registered trademark of Playtex Products, LLC, whose parent company is Energizer Holdings, Inc.  Wet Ones® Antibacterial Hand Wipes help consumers keep their hands clean and 99.99 percent free of germs.

Wet Ones® provided this mama a sample canister to try out.  The “fresh scent” wipes smell great and are refreshing when cleaning up after a messy toddler.  The canister fits into a standard car cup, making them convenient to have on hand during travels with the kids.  They are especially handy on cleaning up after a morning at the playground or a coffee spill in the car.  Even with sensitive skin, the antibacterial formula does not sting when used.  I keep a canister in the car all the time and in our beach bag as well.  The canister is easy to use, even for a toddler.

To help parents and kids with keeping clean as the school year begins, Wet Ones is offering one lucky reader a chance to win a canister of Wet Ones, a travel pack and a box of individually wrapped wipes.  To enter, leave a comment below about why you want to win this fun prize-pack!  This giveaway will end on September 20, 2010 at 11:59pm EST.  The winning comment, selected by Random.org, will be contacted by 9/22/10 via email.  The prize will be distributed by Wet Ones.  Good Luck!