Hand-washing: Do's and don'ts


By Mayo Clinic Staff


When to wash your hands


Always wash your hands before:

  • Preparing food or eating
  • Treating wounds or caring for a sick person
  • Inserting or removing contact lenses

Always wash your hands after:

  • Preparing food
  • Using the toilet, changing a diaper or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
  • Touching an animal, animal feed or animal waste
  • Blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
  • Treating wounds or caring for a sick person
  • Handling garbage
  • Handling pet food or pet treats

Also, wash your hands when they are visibly dirty.

How to wash your hands

It's generally best to wash your hands with soap and water. Over-the-counter antibacterial soaps are no more effective at killing germs than is regular soap.

Follow these steps:

  • Apply soap and lather well.
  • Rinse well.

How to use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers, which don't require water, are an acceptable alternative when soap and water aren't available. If you use a hand sanitizer, make sure the product contains at least 60% alcohol. Follow these steps:

  • Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand. Check the label to find out the appropriate amount.
  • Rub your hands together.

Kids need clean hands, too



A simple way to stay healthy


Mayo Clinic Minute: How dirty are common surfaces?

Jason Howland: Most of us aren't aware we are doing it.

We touch our face between three to 30 times an hour.

The problem, says Dr. Gregory Poland, is what we touch beforehand is often riddled with germs.

Gregory Poland, M.D., Vaccine Research Group Mayo Clinic: Bathroom faucets, door handles, escalator rails, computer terminals, anything that is commonly touched by the public.

Jason Howland: But how germ-filled are common objects? Let's start with money.

Gregory Poland, M.D.: Bad but not highly transmissible.

Jason Howland: Touchscreens, devices, phones?

Gregory Poland, M.D.: Bad.

Jason Howland: Restaurant menus?

Gregory Poland, M.D.: Really bad.

Jason Howland: Doorknob handles?

Gregory Poland, M.D.: Really, really bad.

Jason Howland: What about our computer keyboards?

Gregory Poland, M.D.: Those have been shown over and over again to be really grossly contaminated.

Jason Howland: These common surfaces aren't just gross. They can be a vehicle to spread cold and flu viruses, and make you sick. Dr. Poland offers these suggestions.

Gregory Poland, M.D.: First, keep your hands out of your eyes, nose and mouth. Second is either wash your hands with soap and water, or use hand sanitizer.

Jason Howland: And make sure you get your annual flu vaccine.

For the Mayo Clinic News Network, I'm Jason Howland.

Mayo Clinic Minute: You're washing your hands all wrong

Ian Roth: Children often are taught at a young age to wash their hands — before eating and after using the restroom. It's an easy and effective way to stay healthy and avoid spreading disease.

But Dr. Gregory Poland, director of Mayo Clinic’s Vaccine Research Group says adults could do much better at the sink.

Gregory Poland, M.D.: People go to the bathroom and they run their fingers under the water. Well, that does nothing. And, then they grab the dirty faucet, and they touch the dirty handle on the way out of the bathroom.

Ian Roth: Dr. Poland says that in public washrooms there are often more bacteria on those faucets than in the toilet water. So, next time you’re at the sink…

Gregory Poland, M.D.: So you wash your hands while singing happy birthday to yourself, you get between the fingers, the fingertips, the thumb, you turn the water off with a paper towel, and you open the door to leave with a paper towel and dispose of the paper towel. That's how you wash your hands — ideally, with warm, soapy water.

Ian Roth: For the Mayo Clinic News Network, I’m Ian Roth.

April 01, 2020 See more In-depth

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