BATON ROUGE — Washing your hands has always been one of the easiest ways to stop the spread of illness, but it is even more crucial this time of year.

"It's so important to regularly wash your hands because handwashing reduces the spread of germs and germs in turn can make us sick. Given that we are coming into the cold and flu season, it's especially important to recognize the value of hand washing," Dr. Neha Vyas said.

Doctors say there is no set rule for how many times a day a person should wash their hands. It really depends on what they're doing.

It is recommended to wash your hands before and after eating, after using the bathroom or changing a diaper, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. It is also a good idea to wash up if you have touched garbage or been out in public.

A good hand washing should last for at least 20 seconds. Either cold or hot water is okay then dry with a clean towel.

It is easier to transmit germs with wet hands.

“If you're one of those whose skin gets really dry, it's really important that after you wash and dry your hands, you apply a lotion or a cream or an ointment. That recreates the skin surface so that you don't have the little micro-abrasions or the micro-cuts, which could potentially introduce more bacteria in your skin,” Vyas said.

Besides regularly washing your hands, doctors suggest routine cleaning and sanitizing of high-touch areas in your home.