Louisville Water Company teaches handwashing to preschoolers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - National Handwashing Awareness Week happens from Dec. 1 through Dec. 7. The Louisville Water Company is helping to spread awareness instead of germs this school year.

The week comes while COVID-19, the flu, and RSV are spreading throughout the community, especially in classrooms.

Representatives visited George Unseld Early Childhood Center on Wednesday to help kids learn the ropes.

The interactive lesson included a book reading, and a demonstration using fake germs and a blacklight, to show how germs hide. Children later washed their hands to see the germs disappear.

Channa Newman with the Louisville Water Company said the pandemic highlighted how effective extra safety measures can be.

“We realized as Louisville Water that we have a big role to play in germ prevention, because you have to use water to wash your hands,” Newman said. “We have always done this program as part of our education and outreach, but it really became super important during COVID and certainly this time of year with flu and other things going on.”

Children also left the classroom with their own papers to teach their families how to properly wash their hands.

Louisville Water Company reached about 500 students during the week. They said this educational program continues throughout the year.

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