Overview
Steps for proper handwashing include:
- Wet your hands with clean water.
- Apply soap and lather your hands by rubbing them together for at least 20 seconds.
- Make sure you also lather the back of the hands, between the fingers, the thumb, and under the nails. Rinse well.
- Dry with a clean towel or air dry.
Proper handwashing is the best way to avoid spreading germs to help prevent infection.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Clean hands: About handwashing. www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/index.html. Updated February 16, 2024. Accessed December 24, 2024.
Review Date 1/1/2025
Updated by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Clinical Professor Emeritus, Department of Family Medicine, UW Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.