Washing your hands properly is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of diseases, including the common cold, flu, and COVID-19. Unfortunately, many people don’t wash their hands as often or as thoroughly as they should. In this article, we’ll discuss how to wash your hands properly to help keep yourself and others healthy.
Step 1: Wet your hands
The first step in washing your hands properly is to wet your hands with clean, running water. The water can be either cold or warm, but it should be clean and free from any contaminants.
Step 2: Apply soap
Once your hands are wet, apply soap to your hands. It’s important to use enough soap to cover all surfaces of your hands, including your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Step 3: Lather your hands
Next, lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to rub the soap over all surfaces of your hands for at least 20 seconds. This is the minimum amount of time needed to effectively kill germs and bacteria on your hands.
Step 4: Scrub your hands
After lathering your hands, it’s time to scrub them. Use your fingers, palms, and the backs of your hands to scrub your hands thoroughly. Be sure to scrub in between your fingers and under your nails, as these areas can harbor germs and bacteria.
Step 5: Rinse your hands
Once you’ve scrubbed your hands for at least 20 seconds, rinse them thoroughly with clean, running water. Be sure to rinse off all the soap, as leaving soap on your hands can cause skin irritation.
Step 6: Dry your hands
After rinsing your hands, dry them thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer. If using a towel, be sure it’s clean and hasn’t been used by anyone else.