As a nurse and self-proclaimed germaphobe, I am on my kids to not only wash their hands all the time, but wash them well too. To properly clean germs off your hands, pediatricians recommend a wash cycle of 20 seconds. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) say that the best way to avoid illness and the spread of disease is to wash your hands. Washing hands is so important and I want to make sure my family does it correctly.
One thing you learn in nursing school is how to wash your hands. That is a serious thing to know. You are supposed to wash the tops, palms, fingers, in between your fingers, and around your nails. We were taught to sing Happy Birthday to ourselves to make sure we are doing it long enough with the right temperature and never touch the faucet with our hands after the initial turning on of the water. This is what I taught my kids but they sometimes don’t sing the whole song or just ignore this.
When I heard about Musical Hand Wash Timers I was intrigued. I could finally get my kids to clean their hands long enough! How is this so, you might ask. Well, it is a simple and ingenious invention! We were sent 2 Cars timers to use in our house.
You use your normal soap dispenser. Then, you place the Musical Hand Wash Timer on the lid. It fits around the spout. Whenever you or your kiddo presses down to get soap, a song will play for 20-25 seconds and light up letting you (or them) know how long to wash them! Each Musical Hand Wash Timer will play 1000+ times!
My kids love these. They all think the music is fun and have gained better hand washing techniques since we started using them. While the timer can work with a larger/wider spout, I recommend being careful when you do. I put it on a foaming-type spout (which has a much wider opening than normal soap) and it eventually did rip off (after several months). It would not do this on a normal soap dispenser. Even so, we still do use the timer. It sits next to the soap dispenser and my kids just press it when they get their soap. It still serves its purpose!
I recommend the Musical Hand Wash Timers for anyone with children. They are not only cute and fun, but serve the fantastic purpose of helping to keep your family healthy. With the cold and flu season upon us, I can’t think of a better time to get a Musical Hand Wash Timer. You can purchase an Ariel or Cars timer for only $3.99 each (plus S&H) or you may find them at Babies R Us!
I am so happy to be able to offer one of you one Musical Hand Wash Timer! You can pick to receive either the Ariel or Cars!
Here is how to enter:
- For your first comment, tell me what you are doing to keep your family free from sickness this winter (or ways you can improve maybe?) Also, let me know if you would like Cars or Ariel!
After the first required entry, you can do any (or all) of the following for one entry each!
- Subscribe to ToBeThode by email (must be verified) or Reader. Leave me a comment that you did or if you already are!
- Follow ToBeThode publicly in Google Friend. Leave a comment letting me know that you did or if you already are.
- Follow me on Twitter AND tweet about this giveaway. (You must do both for this entry.) Leave me a comment with your status update! You can tweet once daily for an extra entry. Be sure to come back and leave the URL for your status update.
- Grab my button and put it on your blog. Be sure to include your URL in your comment.
- Blog about this giveaway and link to ToBeThode. Leave a link to your blog post in the comments. (please do not copy and paste from this post)
- Stumble this post (the post, not the site). Leave me your Stumble Name and/or URL.
Entries will be accepted until 11:59pm (CST) on March 1, 2010. Winner will be drawn by random generator and posted. The winner will be contacted by email and will have 48 hours to respond in order to claim their prize. This giveaway is open for U.S. residents only. One entry per household please!
WINNER: AMY B
disclosure: We were given item(s) mentioned for the purpose of review. I did not receive monetary compensation and all thoughts and opinions are mine. If applicable, images other than my own and quotes were taken directly from the website mentioned.
Amy B says
I follow you on Twitter..or would you call it stalk? LOL
Amy B says
I have your blog on my Google reader..
Amy B says
we have always been a hand washer family. But since I started Chemo and worry about counts and germs more..we seem to wash more and more often. My 5 yr old is obsessed with washing his hands and brushing the buggies off his teeth..LOL
WE would love to win this.
Kim Lepper says
follower
Kim Lepper says
Lots of handwashing and Shaklee vitamins 🙂
I’d want the Cars one!
Susan Wernle says
Daily Tweet
http://twitter.com/monkeymommy08/status/9856809703
Susan Wernle says
Daily Tweet
http://twitter.com/monkeymommy08/status/9805964794
Rachel C says
To try to keep my family healthy I Lysol the bathroom and the doorhandles like a maniac. I would choose Cars timer.
Katrina says
we try to stay away from sick family members….seems simple but sometimes it is now
would love the ariel one
Susan Wernle says
Daily Tweet
http://twitter.com/monkeymommy08/status/9758585586
Michele P. says
twitter follower @micaela6955 tweet http://twitter.com/micaela6955/status/9731078140
forgot to mention on first post what one I wanted, it really doesn’t make a difference either way-but since my grandson is younger, I will ask for the Cars one.
Michele P. says
following via google friend connect
Michele P. says
we are using antibacterial soaps, washing our hands, using face masks if someone is sick, and disposable plates and utensils. not too good for the environment but at least it keeps the germs away!
Susan Wernle says
Daily Tweet
http://twitter.com/monkeymommy08/status/9709554578
Amanda M. says
I follow you on twitter, and I tweeted!
@monteefamily
http://twitter.com/monteefamily/status/9706586141
Amanda M. says
I follow via google friend connect.
Amanda M. says
I am an email subscriber.
Amanda M. says
We are washing our hands a lot! We also use hand sanitizer all the time. We also clean and disinfect everything all over the house.
Amanda M. says
I forgot to add that I would choose the Ariel timer for my daughter. Thanks!
KellyH says
You mean besides washing our hands? We use germx in the car while we are shopping,etc. I have also been giving the kids a glass of OJ in the mornings. Otherwise, fresh air and sunshine (and here it’s been a long winter, today it’s 6 degrees, but the sun is out!)
Thanks!
KellyH
karen M says
tweet http://twitter.com/karenmed409/status/9661475791
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
Susan Wernle says
Here is my daily tweet
http://twitter.com/monkeymommy08/status/9656739941
Susan Wernle says
I have placed your button on my blog this is located at
http://monkeymommy08.blogspot.com/
Susan Wernle says
I have tweeted about your giveaway on twitter
http://twitter.com/monkeymommy08/status/9609916728
Susan Wernle says
@monkeymommy08 is following tobethode on twitter
Susan Wernle says
I am following your blog via google friend connect
Susan Wernle says
I have subscribed to your blog via email
Susan Wernle says
I have been washing all our hands and then putting on hand sanatizer on all of the people in the house. Lysol everything everyday. I bleach our toys once a week at least. I would love the ariel for my little princess
Rebecca Niehaus says
I subscribe via google reader
Rebecca Niehaus says
I follow your blog via google friend connect!
Rebecca Niehaus says
My 4 year old son is very good at remembering to wash his hands after using the bathroom and before meals. He also loves to use the hand sanitizer that I have attached to my key chain. He is absolutely crazy over anything that is Lightning Mcqueen so we would choose the Cars timer. Thanks so much for the giveaway
FrugalMom says
I added your button to my blog Frugality Is Free.
http://freefrugality.blogspot.com/
FrugalMom says
I am now a follower!
FrugalMom says
We have put extra emphasis on handwishing this winter, we also carry around antibacterial wipes and gel, and we have a humidifier in our home.
If I won, I would like the Cars timer, as I have three boys.
karen M says
tweet http://twitter.com/karenmed409/status/9580798017
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
Jeanine says
We are using lots of hand sanitizer this winter especially on outings.
stephanie rutledge says
well whatever im doing isnt working- weve been sick all winter. but ive tried to keep things wiped down and keep hands washed.
Barb S. says
following you on twitter (winterbabe98)
and tweeted the giveaway!
http://twitter.com/winterbabe98/status/9460624601
Barb S. says
following via Google friend connect!!! Barb
Barb S. says
e-mail subscriber!
barbs562@gmail.com
Barb S. says
I try to carry some hand sanitizer in my purse or backpack when we go places. Plus, I supplement our son’s vitamins with the Lil Critters Vitamin that has echinacea and zinc along with vitamin C in it!
karen M says
tweet http://twitter.com/karenmed409/status/9315819354
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
dreamer says
we are going through hand sanitizer like crazy and we’d love the cars one!
www.fromdiaperstodorms.com says
I would love to have one of these for our foster kids to use. Sometimes these great kids have just not been exposed to much in the way of personal hygiene. We teach them A LOT for the first time sometimes. This tool would be a great way for the kids to have a fun way to learn this lesson. We’d be thrilled with either time, but I think the CARS one, though a bit more boy oriented, would be more gender neutral and friendly for all the kids. (So, we would pick cars.) Thanks again for the chance to win!
Tabathia B says
follow via google friend connect
Tabathia B says
email subscriber
Tabathia B says
twitter follower (chelleb36) & tweeted http://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/9262498413
Tabathia B says
We take vitamin c drops daily & the kids take add’l vitamins. We wash hands constantly & take sanitizer everywhere. At onset, we take preventative measures and drink green tea. I like Ariel best.
chrissyb says
e-mail subscriber
transamws602(at)yahoo(dot)com
chrissyb says
blog follower.
transamws602(at)yahoo(dot)com
chrissyb says
We have a newborn at our house and we make all who enter wash their hands befor they hug baby.
transamws602(at)yahoo(dot)com
Krista W. says
Have your button!
http://www.heavenlysavings.blogspot.com
Krista W. says
http://twitter.com/okwhisner/status/9206225733
Tweeted!!
Krista W. says
Follow your blog!
Krista W. says
E-mail subscriber
Krista W. says
We are ALWAYS washing our hands! This is a wonderful giveaway! Thanks for the chance! my little girl would LOVE Ariel!
karen M says
have your button displayed
http://gummasplace.blogspot.com/
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
karen M says
following on twitter and tweeted
http://twitter.com/karenmed409/status/9189642055
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
karen M says
Google Friend Connect follower
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
karen M says
subscriber
karenmed409 at comcast dot net
karen M says
Cars is my pick… making sure the kids are eating healthy and getting outside to play when the weather is nice. If they get cooped up they tend to get grouch 🙂
Beth C says
I am a new subscriber.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Beth C says
I am a follower and we would like the Cars one.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Beth C says
We are using a lot of hand sanitizer.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
Angela P says
I follow you on twitter and tweeted:
http://twitter.com/ChildrensNook/status/9185000647
Angela P says
I carry disinfectant with me in my purse and have it in several rooms in the house. I also always use a wipe to clean shopping carts before using them, and we always wash our hands when we get home. If anyone has been sick when they visit our house I also spray lysol afterward.
I would like cars.
veniceangel@hotmail.com
Stephanie says
We up our vitamin C in the winter and try to eat healthy to keep our bodies in good shape to fight the bugs. My boys would love the Cars timer.
I am an email subscriber.
Kristine says
I am an google friend.
I would like Cars for my boys.
Thanks for your wonderful blogs, too!
Kristine says
I am an e-subscriber.
I would like Cars for my boys.
Thanks for all your giveaways!
Kristine says
We sing Row Row Row your Boat twice when we are washing our hands and it works whereever we are. This would be fun to use at home, since my 2 boys are the youngest, I would like Cars.
fiona says
what a cute idea! Ariel is queen in this house! My DD has a song they taught her at school for washing hands “under, over in between…. under over in between… etc.”
nan lara says
email subscriber
nannypanpan@sbcglobal.net
nan lara says
gfc follower
nan lara says
i have my guy wash up as soon as we get in from anywhere.
i would like cars
nannypanpan@sbcglobal.net