NEW YORK — Seven "soaper-heroes" are on a crusade to teach children the proper way to wash their hands — and that proper hand-washing will help keep them healthy.

The Scrub Club includes Hot Shot and Chill, who combine to make water warm; Squeaks, who turns into various forms of soap; Taki, who becomes a clock to count down 20 seconds; Scruff, who reminds kids to clean around their nails; Tank, who turns into a sink to rinse away the germs; and P.T., who transforms into paper towels.

This crew hangs out at an animated, interactive Web site that part of a broad campaign by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Clean Hands Coalition to wash out colds and the flu.

According to the CDC, nearly 22 million school days are lost each year due to colds, and one of the most common ways people catch colds is by rubbing their noses or eyes after touching someone who is sick.

"Keeping your hands clean is one of the most effective things you can do to keep from getting sick and spreading illnesses to others," says CDC director Julie Gerberding. "We want to encourage parents and schools to step up and promote these practices."

The Scrub Club Web site includes online games (one features the villain Influenza Enzo), and a list of clean-hands educational activities. There also is a "Webisode" featuring the Scrub Club as they fight off germs and bacteria.

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www.scrubclub.org