You wash your hands many times a day, but how many of those washes are a quick splash under the tap before you rush back to your chai? Global Handwashing Day falls on Thursday, 15 October, and this year's theme, "Be a Handwashing Hero!", is a good nudge to learn how to wash hands properly, not just often.
This guide walks you through the WHO steps, the honest answer on 20 seconds versus a full minute, the moments that matter most, when sanitiser is enough and when it isn't, and how to make the habit stick for children, on trains and in public toilets with no soap.
Key takeaways
- Proper handwashing covers every surface: palms, backs, between the fingers, thumbs, fingertips and under the nails.
- CDC advises scrubbing with soap for at least 20 seconds; WHO's 40 to 60 seconds covers the whole wash, from wetting to drying.
- Soap and water beats sanitiser whenever you can reach a sink, especially when hands are visibly dirty or greasy.
- When there's no sink, use a sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol and rub until your hands are dry.
- Dry your hands completely and moisturise after washing to keep skin from cracking.
On this page
- 01How to wash hands properly: the WHO steps
- 02How long should you wash your hands: 20 seconds or a full minute?
- 03When should you wash your hands? The moments that matter
- 04Soap vs hand sanitiser: which is better?
- 05Hand hygiene for kids: how to make it a habit
- 06Handwashing in public toilets and on the go: what if there's no soap?
- 07Paper towel, cloth or hand dryer: what's the best way to dry hands?
- 08How to stop dry, cracked hands from frequent washing
How to wash hands properly: the WHO steps
To wash hands properly, wet them with clean water, apply enough soap to cover every surface, then rub your palms, the backs of your hands, between the fingers, the backs of the fingers, your thumbs and your fingertips. Rinse well and dry with a clean, single-use towel. The WHO's handwashing poster sets out this exact order.
Wet your hands
Use clean, running water. Warm or cold both work.
Apply enough soap
Use enough plain soap to cover all surfaces of both hands.
Rub palm to palm
Rub your palms together to build a good lather.
Clean the backs of your hands
Place your right palm over the back of your left hand with your fingers interlaced, and rub. Then swap.
Clean between the fingers
Press palm to palm with your fingers interlaced and slide them back and forth.
Clean the backs of the fingers
Lock your fingers together so the backs of the fingers rub against the opposite palm.
Don't forget your thumbs
Clasp your left thumb in your right palm and rub in circles, then swap. Thumbs are easy to skip.
Scrub fingertips and nails
Rub the fingertips of your right hand in circles against your left palm, then swap. This works soap under the nails.
Rinse, dry and turn off the tap
Rinse thoroughly, dry completely with a single-use towel, and use that towel to turn off the tap so your clean hands don't touch it again.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) condenses this into five steps: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry. Same idea; the WHO order just makes sure nothing gets missed.
How long should you wash your hands: 20 seconds or a full minute?
Scrub with soap for at least 20 seconds, says CDC. The WHO gives 40 to 60 seconds, but that covers the entire procedure, from wetting your hands to drying them. The two numbers don't contradict each other: about 20 seconds of lathering and scrubbing sits inside a 40 to 60 second wash.
20 seconds
Minimum time to scrub with soap
Source: CDC
40 to 60 seconds
The whole handwash, wet to dry
Source: WHO
60%
Minimum alcohol in a hand sanitiser
Source: CDC
The NHS gives a handy timer: wash for as long as it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" twice, around 20 seconds. CDC suggests humming the song twice from beginning to end. Any song your child knows will do, as long as it lasts the distance.
When should you wash your hands? The moments that matter
Wash your hands after using the toilet, before eating, before, during and after cooking, after changing a nappy or a sanitary pad, after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose, after touching animals or rubbish, and before and after caring for someone who is unwell or treating a cut. These are the moments public-health bodies single out.
Your handwashing moments
- After using the toilet, at home or outside
- After changing a baby's nappy or helping a child who has used the toilet
- Before and after changing a sanitary pad, liner, period panty or menstrual cup
- Before, during and after preparing food, especially raw meat, fish or eggs
- Before and after eating
- After coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
- After touching animals, their food or their waste
- After touching rubbish or emptying the dustbin
- Before and after caring for someone with vomiting or diarrhoea
- Before and after treating a cut or wound
Handwashing after using the toilet
This is the wash most of us rush. Germs from poo travel easily from hands to taps, phones and food, which is how a tummy bug spreads through a household. A proper wash after every toilet visit protects everyone who shares your kitchen.
Handwashing on your period
Wash before you change, so you don't carry germs from your phone, bag or the door handle to a fresh sanitary pad, and wash again afterwards before you touch anything else. If you use a menstrual cup, clean hands are non-negotiable, because your fingers go inside.
Soap vs hand sanitiser: which is better?
Soap and water is the better choice whenever you can reach a sink. CDC advises an alcohol-based sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol for times when soap and water aren't available. Sanitiser works less well on visibly dirty or greasy hands, does not get rid of all types of germs, and may not remove chemicals such as pesticides.
| Soap and water | Alcohol-based sanitiser | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Everyday use, and always after the toilet and before eating or cooking | When there's no sink, such as on a bus, in a market or at a roadside stop |
| Visibly dirty or greasy hands | Works well: scrubbing lifts off dirt and oil | Less effective, so wash with soap as soon as you can |
| Germs | Removes many kinds of germs when you scrub properly | Reduces many germs, but does not get rid of all types |
| How long | At least 20 seconds of scrubbing, then rinse | Rub over all surfaces until dry, about 20 seconds |
| What to check | Plain soap is enough; antibacterial soap adds no proven benefit at home | The label should say at least 60% alcohol |
Sanitiser alcohol percentage: what to look for
Turn the bottle round and read the label. CDC's threshold is at least 60% alcohol, so a weaker or alcohol-free formula shouldn't be your backup. Use the amount the label recommends, spread it over all surfaces of both hands, and keep rubbing until your hands are dry. Don't rinse or wipe it off before it dries.
After gardening, outdoor play or a visit to the fields, sanitiser isn't enough. Those hands need soap.
Hand hygiene for kids: how to make it a habit
Children learn handwashing by doing it with you, not by being told. Show them the steps at the sink, keep a stool so they can reach the tap, use a song that lasts about 20 seconds, and tie handwashing to fixed moments: after the toilet, before meals, after play and as soon as they come home from school.
- Make it visible. Wash together before dinner every night, until skipping it feels odd.
- Give each step a name. "Prayer hands" for palm to palm, "tiger claws" for the fingertips, "hug your thumb" for the thumbs. Silly names stick.
- Use the birthday song. Twice through is about 20 seconds. Let them choose their own song once they have the idea.
- Ask about school. Is there soap at the handwashing area before the tiffin break? If not, pack a few soap strips in the school bag.
- Supervise sanitiser. CDC advises supervising young children when they use hand sanitiser so they don't swallow the alcohol. Store bottles out of their reach.
Handwashing in public toilets and on the go: what if there's no soap?
If a public toilet has water but no soap, rinse your hands well under running water, which CDC says removes some germs, though not as well as soap, and follow with a sanitiser containing at least 60% alcohol. If there's no water either, sanitiser alone is your best option until you reach a proper sink.
- Carry a backup. A small bottle of sanitiser and a few soap strips weigh almost nothing and fit in a handbag pocket.
- Use a tissue on the tap and door. Turn off the tap and open the door with a tissue or paper towel, then bin it.
- Don't skip the wash on trains and buses. On a long train ride, eating with unwashed hands after a trip to the coach toilet is the easy mistake. Clean hands first, then the poha.
Clean hands are only half the picture in a public loo; the seat and the floor are the other half. We cover that side in our guide to public toilet hygiene and avoiding UTIs while travelling.
From Looway
Looway Yatra Kit
If you travel often, a Yatra Kit keeps seat covers, a pee funnel and pee and puke bags in one place for the toilet itself; it doesn't replace soap or sanitiser for your hands, so pack those alongside.
Paper towel, cloth or hand dryer: what's the best way to dry hands?
Dry your hands completely, whichever method you use. CDC says clean towels and air dryers are both effective, and points out that germs spread more easily from wet hands. The WHO recommends a single-use towel, which has a bonus: you can use it to turn off the tap without touching it again.
At home, the shared hand towel by the washbasin is often the weak link. Give each person their own, or change the common one often, and hang it where it dries fully, especially in the monsoon. And don't wipe wet hands on your dupatta or jeans.
How to stop dry, cracked hands from frequent washing
Frequent washing can dry your skin out, and the NHS names soaps, detergents and regular contact with water among the most common causes of irritant contact dermatitis. Pat your hands dry, apply a plain, unscented moisturiser after washing and before bed, and wear gloves for chores like washing dishes.
- Choose a mild soap. If your skin reacts, skip strongly perfumed soaps and handwashes.
- Pat, don't rub. Dry gently with a clean towel, including between the fingers.
- Moisturise every time. Keep an unscented hand cream or emollient next to the sink. The NHS describes emollients as moisturisers you rub on to stop skin becoming dry.
- Keep surface wipes off your skin. CDC warns that disinfecting wipes meant for surfaces can irritate skin.
- Wear gloves for chores. Washing utensils, mopping and laundry with detergent are hard on hands that are already washed often.
Frequently asked questions
What are the steps of handwashing?
Wet your hands and apply enough soap to cover them. Rub palm to palm, then the backs of your hands, between your fingers, the backs of your fingers, each thumb and your fingertips. Rinse well, dry completely with a clean single-use towel and use it to turn off the tap. CDC sums it up as wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry.
Is 20 seconds of handwashing enough?
Yes, if you use soap and cover every surface. CDC recommends scrubbing for at least 20 seconds, about two rounds of "Happy Birthday". The WHO's 40 to 60 seconds is the time for the entire procedure, including wetting, rinsing and drying, so the two figures fit together. Rubbing only your palms for 20 seconds misses the thumbs, fingertips and nails.
Is hand sanitiser as good as washing with soap?
Not quite. CDC says soap and water is the better option whenever you can get to a sink. Sanitiser is a good backup when you can't, but it is less effective on visibly dirty or greasy hands, does not get rid of all types of germs, and may not remove chemicals such as pesticides.
What alcohol percentage should hand sanitiser have?
CDC recommends a hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol, which should be stated on the label. Use the amount the label suggests, spread it over all surfaces of both hands, and rub until your hands are completely dry, which takes about 20 seconds. Don't wipe or rinse it off. Supervise young children when they use it, so they don't swallow any.
Does water temperature matter when washing hands?
No. According to CDC, warm and cold water remove the same number of germs from your hands, so use whatever temperature feels comfortable. The soap and the scrubbing do the real work. If your skin is dry or sensitive, lukewarm water followed by a moisturiser is the kinder choice.
What is the theme of Global Handwashing Day 2026?
Global Handwashing Day is marked every year on 15 October, and the theme is "Be a Handwashing Hero!". The idea is that anyone can be a hero by making handwashing with soap a habit and encouraging the people around them, at home, at school or at work. The day is coordinated by the Global Handwashing Partnership.
Sources
Team Potent Hygiene
Written by the Potent Hygiene team in Jaipur, the people behind Ovy period care and Looway travel hygiene. Every article is checked against the public health sources listed with it.