The 15-Second (Handwashing) Challenge

Did you know that there are over 200 different viruses that cause the common cold? Did you know that children put their hands in their mouths every 2 or 3 minutes? Did you know that frequent hand washing can reduce school absences for students and teachers by up to 50%? During the COVID-19 pandemic, washing your hands was important to reduce the spread of the disease and helped protected you and your family.

These surprising statistics and others are the reason that the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association (CCSPA) developed the following resources to help teachers explain the importance of regular hand washing to children in grades one through six. The program is called The 15-Second Challenge because students should wash their hands for at least 15 seconds to get rid of germs and bacteria.

The 15-Second Challenge includes the following useful resources for teachers:

If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact CCSPA.


The information above was compiled by the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products. This information is not copyrighted. It is for educational purposes only.