The basic steps for washing hands effectively are:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold).
- Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces.
- Lather and scrub your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Make sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
- Scrub for at least 20 seconds -you can time this by humming the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands thoroughly using a clean towel or air dryer.
- If the tap is not automatic, use a towel to turn it off to avoid recontamination.
Additional detailed hand rubbing techniques include rubbing palm to palm, right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa, palm to palm with fingers interlaced, backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked, rotational rubbing of thumbs, and rubbing fingertips on palms
. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, rubbing hands until dry
. These steps help remove germs and prevent the spread of infections effectively.
