How long are you supposed to wash your hands? Handwashing dos and don’ts

It's easy to underestimate the power of washing your hands. We hear it recommended all the time, but when was the last time you really washed your hands well? Handwashing is one of the easiest and most effective ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick.

Here is everything you need to know about handwashing—from how long you’re supposed to wash your hands, to the correct order of steps for handwashing and why we even wash hands in the first place.

Whether you’re at home, work, school or on the go, mastering the art of handwashing yields big rewards, especially during cold and flu season.

Why do we wash our hands?

The point of washing our hands with soap is to remove the germs. By removing germs, we can prevent infections.

How many times a day do you or does your child touch your eyes, nose or mouth without even realizing it? Do you wash your hands before every snack or meal? How often do you tell your child to quit touching objects, like toys, handrails, tabletops or whatever they may find on the ground?

Germs are transferred between dirty objects and our hands, and germs can enter our body through our eyes, nose and mouth. The average person touches their face approximately 20-30 times per hour. That means we are constantly exposing ourselves to infection if we don’t practice good hand hygiene.

Now for some good news. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), handwashing education and practicing good hand hygiene can reduce respiratory illnesses, like colds, in the general population by about 16 to 21% or in other words, about 1 in every 5 children.

How long are you supposed to wash your hands?

The CDC recommends washing your hands for at least 20 seconds to ensure thorough cleaning. A helpful tip is to hum or sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice while scrubbing to keep track of time.

This is a great way to teach your kids how long to wash their hands. And when you hear their little voices singing, you’ll know they’re getting a thorough handwashing.

What is the correct order of steps for handwashing?

It’s easy to breeze through washing your hands without really giving them a good scrub. Let’s review the correct steps for handwashing, from start to finish:

1. Wet your hands (or your child’s hands).
2. Apply soap (liquid or bar) to the hands.
   - Always allow the bar of soap to drain before it’s used again.
   - Regular soaps have been shown to be just as effective at ridding of germs and dirt as the fancy antibacterial soaps available in stores.
3. Rub the hands together.
   - Scrub every side of both hands completely, including under nails. Keep rubbing and scrubbing for 15 to 30 seconds to effectively remove the germs.
   - Using water alone is less effective when washing, as the soap contains surfactants, which aid in removing soil and germs from the skin. It also helps that people tend to scrub and wash more rigorously when soap is used, which in turn likely removes more germs.
4. Rinse hands thoroughly with water.
5. Dry hands on a clean towel or use an air dryer.
   - Always dry your hands after washing; germs are easier spread by wet hands versus dry hands.
   - Studies suggest people use air dryers or clean towels when drying hands. In other words, do not use just whatever is available.

Make practicing good hand hygiene a habit in your household. We’re all exposed to different viruses and bacteria all day long. Once our hands are contaminated with those germs, we can quickly infect ourselves by touching our eyes, nose or mouth without even realizing it. Handwashing is our best defense.

Stay well! If we keep up with proper handwashing, we can help keep our families and communities healthy.

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