evidence: According to the Center for Disease Control (the CDC), effective handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself against the spread of germs and bacteria, including the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). The effectiveness of washing your hands, however, is determined by when you wash them, how you wash them, and what you wash them with. [...] Hands should be washed before and after preparing food, eating, caring for sick or injured people, using the bathroom, changing diapers, touching animals or animal waste, handling garbage, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Essentially, if an activity, surface, or object seems dirty and you’ve come into contact with it, you should definitely be washing your hands. Same goes for anything involving food or sick people. Specifically relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CDC also suggests washing your hands before and after touching your mask, your face, and any high-touch surfaces (doorknobs, countertops, shopping carts, gas pumps, etc.).