How to wash your hands effectively

Why is it so important to wash your hands properly?

Hand washing seems like the simplest thing, but few people know how to do it properly.

Even if they look clean, your hands can still carry many germs. That's why cleaning hands regularly is so important.

The first thing it does is to physically remove things from your hands by making skin slippery, so that with enough rubbing we can rinse any germs away.

At the same time soap is very effective for coronaviruses. These viruses are covered in a layer of fat. Soap can break that fat apart and make the virus unable to infect you.

When should you wash your hands?

If you cannot work from home and your job is essential, it is important to wash your hands when you get into work and after travelling on public transport. You will also need to wash your hands when you arrive home and before eating or handling raw foods like meat and vegetables. This is in addition to standard hygiene practices such as:

• after changing a nappy or using the toilet
• after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• before and after treating a cut or wound
• after handling or touching animals, including pets

You can use an alcohol-based hand gel (sanitiser) with a minimum of 60 per cent alcohol content if soap and water are unavailable. But as stocks are currently running short, soap and water are just as effective.

What’s an effective hand washing technique?

The ideal length for washing your hands is at least 20 seconds. It might help to put a 20 second timer on and get ready to roll up your sleeves.

The best way to wash your hands

Step 1: Wet your hands under warm running water.

Step 2: Apply a small amount of liquid soap to your hands.

Step 3: Rub your hands together vigorously. Make sure you apply soap and water to all surfaces of your hands for at least 20 seconds, and up to one minute. Make sure you rub your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, your fingertips, thumbs, wrists and nails.

Step 4: Then rinse your hands under running water.

Step 5: Dry your hands thoroughly using a hand dryer or disposable paper towel.

Step 6: Turn the tap off using a disposable paper towel or your elbow. This is to avoid re-contaminating your hands with any lingering germs.

Once your hands are clean and feeling dry you can use a moisturising cream. Stick to using your own moisturising cream on clean hands, and avoid sharing it with others.

Common hand washing questions

If you have more questions related to hand washing and proper hand hygiene, you might find it helpful to watch our common hand washing questions video. Here Bupa UK Clinical Fellows, Dr Rebecca Rohrer and Dr Matthew Brown, answer questions ranging from whether to wear jewellery during hand washing to the importance of cleaning under nails.