While the "washy washy" workers outside the Windjammer buffet have become sort of minor celebrities on Royal Caribbean ships, they're not the only way the cruise line reminds people to wash their hands.
Royal Caribbean also has a song that accompanies a video on one of its in-house channels. Many times, when you enter your cabin, that channel has been turned on, and in between the cruise director talking up the virtues of the ship, you get to see this video.
It's a surprisingly catchy jingle designed to encourage passengers to wash their hands. You could actually argue that it's an earworm that burrows its way into your brain making it hard to not remember to wash your hands.
Royal Caribbean's "Wash Your Hands" song lyrics
Something we all need to know
If you want to keep that healthy glow
Remind your friends, in courteous terms,
Let's spread the words and not the germs.
Wash your hands
It's the right thing to do
It's easier when
You only have two.
Wash your hands
Keep them clean
Oh yeah, hey, hey,
Wash your hands.
But if you find you're not feeling well
Like too many trips around the carousel
Call the doctor, that's what you do
The doctor'll take good care of you
And you'll feel better too
Wash your hands and make your mother proud
And maybe you can join the popular crowd
Wash your hands, like fifty times a day
Oh yeah, hey, hey, wash your hands.
Wash your hands.
Wash your hands.
Lyrics courtesy of the Royal Caribbean Blog.
Image source: Pixabay
Washing your hands actually helps
While some parts of the overall world's response to Covid seemed performative and not actually that useful, washing your hands is surprisingly effective.
"Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect yourself and your family from getting sick. Washing hands can keep you healthy and prevent the spread of respiratory and diarrheal infections from person to person," according to the CDC.
This advice is not specific to cruise ships but it becomes more important in a close environment where viruses can pass between people easily.
"Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol instead. Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations; however, sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs," the federal agency added.
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Hand washing isn't a guard against ever getting sick, but it is effective.
"Handwashing can prevent about 30% of diarrhea-related sicknesses and about 20% of respiratory infections (e.g., colds)," the CDC shared.
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