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Did you know hand-washing is something that is mentioned in the Bible? In Exodus 30:17-21, God lays out the practice by which the priests are to approach the altar, washing their hands first. Leviticus lays out several instances of ritual washing the body and clothes whenever someone has come into contact with something ritually unclean (which often was unclean as a matter of health as well).
The New Testament also makes reference to the laws concerning washing one's hands. Now before anyone tries to argue, there is a passage in Mark 7 when the Pharisees and some of the scribes chastise Jesus because not all His disciples are washing their hands before they eat. Jesus in turn reproaches them for focusing on the wrong things and not on the things of God, such as, in Jesus' words, "honoring your father and mother."
Washing one's hands would have been much more difficult to do in Jesus' time. It is much easier to do so now. Especially in times when disease and illness run rampant, caring for others, which is at the heart of what Jesus says in this passage, means preventing the spread of disease. We should also not forget that Jesus says it is what comes from within that defiles us. Here, Jesus means evil words and acts, though we should also take this as a reminder to do the 'vampire cough' into our sleeves, not in our hands or, heaven forbid, in someone else's face!
So wash your hands. It's in the Bible.