In fact, the ordinary act of washing your hands, if done properly and routinely, is an effective method to help protect against numerous infectious diseases, including the flu and COVID-19. And all you really need is plain soap and clean water. Seems simple enough, right? Truth be told, as commonplace as handwashing is, many of us aren’t doing it right or often enough to claim proper hand hygiene. A study from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that was released in June 2018 found that 97 percent of the time, people failed to clean their hands properly before a meal. A quick rinse under the faucet followed by wiping your wet hands on your pants won’t cut it. To really kill as many germs on your hands as possible, you need to spend a little more time at the sink.
How to Properly Wash Your Hands in 5 Steps
According to the CDC, effective handwashing includes these five steps.
Wet your hands with clean running water.Lather with soap by rubbing your hands together.Scrub for at least 20 seconds, getting between your fingers and under the nails.Rinse with clean water.Dry thoroughly with a clean towel or air dryer.
Skimping on any of these steps can leave germs lurking on your hands, which then have the potential to migrate to your mouth when you eat or your eyes, nose, or mouth when you touch your face. Poor hand hygiene also increases the risk of spreading germs to others either directly (shaking someone’s hand) or indirectly (like when you touch a doorknob, then another person touches that same doorknob, picking up the germs you left behind).
When Should You Wash Your Hands?
Washing your hands often is best. The CDC recommends handwashing in several situations, including before cooking and eating and after using the toilet, blowing your nose, sneezing, coughing, caring for someone who is sick, touching garbage, touching animals, and more. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you should also wash your hands after touching a frequently touched surface, such as tables, door handles, and cashier screens, and before touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. (Take the quiz to see if you can guess just how many times the average person touches their face in one hour!)
How Handwashing Protects You From Coronavirus, the Flu Virus, and Other Germs
According to the CDC, handwashing can prevent 1 in 3 diarrhea-related sicknesses and 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as the flu or a cold. Here’s how it works: When water mixes with soap, it creates a lather that traps germs on your hands. Scrubbing also helps remove and even destroy germs through friction. Then, when you rinse the soap off, all those germs go down the drain. Washing your hands with soap and water is the most effective method for killing germs as well as removing dirt, grease, and chemicals from your hands. If you don’t have access to clean running water, the next best thing is to use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol — then wash your hands as soon as you can with soap and water. Think you’re a handwashing pro? Test your technique by taking the quiz. Plus, get answers to these common questions:
