WATCH — Renegade, Firework, Happy Birthday: What’s your handwashing song?

Staying safe with style and song

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed during all that’s happening — from no school to social distancing, it seems that people are freaking out about the coronavirus.

One simple way we can all do our part (and have a little fun) is to pick a handwashing song and rock out.

Last week, I put a call out on our CBC Kids News social channels asking to hear your 20-second handwashing songs.

Thanks to everybody who sent in their videos!

I’m going to be jamming out to those sick beats all week.

Be sure to check out the best moments from those submission in this squeaky-clean video:

Why does handwashing matter?

Now more than ever, washing your hands is super important to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says you need to do it for at least 20 seconds (40-60 is even better), because that’s how long it takes to kill the pesky germs.

That’s the same amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday twice. (Or make that the chorus from the Renegade song. Or even a few lines from Firework.)

A basic how-to

You want to wash your hands often, including if you’ve come into contact with someone, or just come in from outside, and before you eat.

You have to make sure to wash carefully, too.

That means washing your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, around your fingernails and your thumbs.

That also means drying your hands well and using a towel to turn off the tap.

And you’re good to go!

Safe Hands Challenge

On March 13, the WHO called on some of the biggest names in show business to take its Safe Hands Challenge.

The idea is you take a photo or video of yourself doing a great job washing your hands, then you challenge three friends to do the same.

Some celebrities, like Selena Gomez, are showing their support (and clean hands) for the cause.

New emoji and new reminders

But it doesn’t stop there. Even Twitter appears to be getting its very own handwashing emoji to support the health trend.

Why? As the international children’s charity UNICEF put it: #SafeHands save lives.

It's not only about keeping yourself healthy, but others as well.

COVID-19 can be particularly harmful to the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions.

So help protect those who are most vulnerable and scrub up!