How to wash your hands properly.

Twenty seconds, five steps, and a few spots almost everyone misses. Here’s when to wash, how to do it, and what actually matters.

Reviewed Sept 27, 2026
Sources: CDC, WHO
4 min read

Step 1 of 5

The five steps

Wet

Run your hands under clean water. Warm or cold works the same.

Turning off the tap while you lather saves water.

Lather

Add soap and rub it over the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.

Plain soap is all you need. Antibacterial soap isn’t better.

Scrub for 20 seconds

Keep rubbing: palms, backs, between the fingers, thumbs and fingertips.

Need a timer? Hum “Happy Birthday” twice.

Rinse

Rinse well under clean, running water until the soap is gone.

The water carries the loosened germs away.

Dry

Dry completely with a clean towel or an air dryer.

Germs spread more easily from wet hands, so don’t skip this.

The spots everyone misses.

Thumbs, fingertips, the backs of your hands and under your nails get skipped most. The space under the nails can carry more than 70 times the bacteria of your palm.

ThumbsClasp each one and twist.
FingertipsCircle them in the other palm.
Backs of handsPalm over the back, fingers laced.
Under nailsScrape them across your palm.

When to wash: everyday

Before, during & after cooking
Before eating
After the bathroom
After changing a diaper
After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
After touching pets, pet food or garbage
Before and after caring for someone sick
Before and after treating a cut

The full list, plus when sanitizer is enough →

When to wash: in healthcare

For most moments with patients, alcohol-based hand rub is the better choice. Use soap and water instead when:

Hands are visibly dirty
Before eating, after the restroom
Caring for C. diff or norovirus
After contact with blood or body fluids

The WHO 5 Moments for clinicians →

Quick questions

How long should I wash my hands?

Scrub for at least 20 seconds before you rinse. CDC’s guidance for healthcare workers sets a minimum of 15 seconds, and WHO’s full procedure, from wetting to drying, takes 40 to 60 seconds.

Do I need antibacterial soap?

No. In 2016 the FDA found that triclosan and 18 other antibacterial ingredients worked no better than plain soap and took them out of consumer soaps.

Hot or cold water?

Either. Warm and cold water remove the same amount of germs, so use whatever is comfortable.

Paper towel or air dryer?

Both work. What matters is getting your hands completely dry.

Is hand sanitizer just as good?

Often, yes, if it has at least 60% alcohol and your hands aren’t visibly dirty. Soap and water is better for dirty hands, stomach bugs like norovirus, and C. diff.

A note from us

“I didn’t follow proper technique until an infection control nurse taught me the right way. Most people were never shown. That’s why this site exists.”

Sources