Every time you touch a surface or another person, your hands become contaminated with bacteria, viruses and fungi. When your hands then touch your food, mouth or eyes, these microorganisms make their way into your body. Using hand soap to kill germs is an essential part of preventing the spread of illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing your hands with soap to kill germs before eating or preparing food and after using the bathroom, changing a diaper or tending to a sick person. Also, wash your hands after you sneeze, cough or blow your nose and after coming into contact with animals, animal waste or garbage.
Step 1
Wet your hands with clean, running, lukewarm water. Soap does not lather as well in cold water, and hot water is drying to the skin.
Step 2
Apply a few squirts of liquid hand soap to the palms of your hands, or rub a bar of soap across both palms. Rub your hands together until a lather forms, then use your soapy fingers to wash all surfaces of your hands, including the spaces between your fingers.
Step 3
Continue rubbing and washing for at least 20 seconds. The CDC recommends singing the "Happy Birthday" song, mentally or aloud, two times. This is approximately 20 seconds.
Step 4
Use a nailbrush to spread the hand soap under your nails. Dirt and germs are likely to become trapped beneath your nails.
Step 5
Rinse your hands by placing them under warm, running water. Make certain you remove all the soap from your skin to prevent skin irritation and dryness.
Step 6
Dry your hands using clean paper towels or a warm air dryer. Cloth towels are more likely to harbor fungi and bacteria than paper towels. Use a paper towel to turn off the water.
Tips and Warnings
- Cold water is just as effective at killing germs as warm water, according to the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Antibacterial soap offers no significant advantage over ordinary hand soap.
- The Mayo Clinic warns that using antibacterial soap may lead to an increase in antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Things You'll Need
- Hand soap
- Nail brush
- Paper towels
