10 reasons to wash your hands

How it works

Washing your hands is easy, and it’s one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs. Follow these five steps every time.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
2. Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap.

   Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.

3. Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.

   7 steps of washing hands

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Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

8. Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
9. Dry your hands using a clean towel or an air dryer.

Use hand sanitizer when you can't use soap and water

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations.

If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.

Keep Reading:Hand Sanitizer Facts

What you can do

CDC has health promotion mate

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