You probably wash your hands a few times a day.

Survey: How Many Times A Day?

A global effort wants to make sure that you -- and millions of others around the world -- give a good scrubbing with soap on Oct. 15 in an effort to prevent disease around the world.

It's the first Global Handwashing Day, meant to bring attention to the 60 million children born each year without access to proper sanitation, according to the groups sponsoring it.

The lack of clean water causes 1.5 million deaths of children under the age of 5 from intestinal disease each year, they said.

The hand washing effort focuses on playgrounds, classrooms and community centers in an effort to teach children good habits.

Hand washing with soap is the most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrheal and acute respiratory infections, the groups said.