Wash Your Hands with Soap and Water for Better Health

Washing your hands with soap and water is one of the simplest and most effective ways to protect yourself and others from getting sick.

Soap and water are the best combination for washing your hands because soap helps to break down and remove dirt, grime, and germs from your skin.

Using soap and water for at least 20 seconds is recommended, giving you enough time to clean all surfaces of your hands, including the backs of your hands, wrists, and between your fingers.

This simple habit can help prevent the spread of illnesses and keep you healthy.

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Washing your hands is one of the simplest and most effective ways to stay healthy. It reduces the amount of bacteria on your hands, lowering your risk of getting sick.

Communities that practice regular handwashing see a significant drop in illnesses, with a 23-40% decrease in diarrhea cases and a 16-21% decrease in colds and other respiratory illnesses.

You should wash your hands regularly, especially after using the bathroom, blowing your nose, sneezing, or coughing. This helps prevent the spread of germs to yourself and others.

Some common situations that require handwashing include:

By washing your hands in these situations, you'll be doing your part to keep yourself and those around you healthy and germ-free.

To wash your hands properly, you need to follow a specific technique. The CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) endorse a seven-step handwashing technique.

Wet your hands with clean, preferably running, water. Apply enough soap to cover all surfaces of your hands and wrists. Lather and rub your hands together briskly and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

Make sure to scrub all surfaces of your hands, fingertips, fingernails, and wrists. Rinse your hands and wrists under clean, preferably running, water. Dry your hands and wrists with a clean towel, or let them air-dry.

Here are the key steps to washing your hands:

Washing your hands is a crucial step in maintaining good hygiene and preventing the spread of illnesses. The CDC and World Health Organization (WHO) recommend a seven-step handwashing technique.

To start, wet your hands with clean water, preferably running water. Then, apply enough soap to cover all surfaces of your hands and wrists. Make sure to lather and rub your hands together briskly and thoroughly, scrubbing all surfaces, including your fingertips, fingernails, and wrists.

Scrub your hands and wrists for at least 20 seconds, which is long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" twice. Rinse your hands and wrists under clean water, and dry them with a clean towel or let them air-dry.

You should also use a towel to turn off the faucet, rather than touching it with your hands. This helps prevent re-contamination.

Here are the key steps to washing your hands:

Remember, the key to washing your hands is to make sure you thoroughly clean all surfaces and areas of your hands, fingers, and wrists.

Behavior change is key to making hand washing a habit. In many countries, hand washing with soap is not practiced regularly, with an average of 38.7% of households doing so in 54 countries in 2015.

Saudi Arabia has the highest rate of hand washing with soap, at 97%, while China has the lowest rate, at 23%. The United States falls in the middle, with a rate of 77%.

Group hand washing for school children at set times of the day is a successful behavior change strategy in developing countries. This approach helps engrain hand washing in children's behaviors.

The "Essential Health Care Program" implemented by the Department of Education in the Philippines is a great example of at-scale action to promote children's health and education.

Washing your hands with soap and water is crucial to keep your hands clean and prevent the spread of germs. You should do it frequently, especially during key times.

Before, during, and after preparing food, wash your hands with soap and water. This is because food can be contaminated with germs, and you don't want to transfer those germs to your mouth or others.

Before and after eating, wash your hands with soap and water. This habit will help prevent the spread of germs from your hands to your food and mouth.

After touching garbage, wash your hands with soap and water. This is because garbage can be contaminated with germs and bacteria, and you don't want to transfer those germs to your hands or face.

After using the restroom, wash your hands with soap and water. This is a simple habit that can prevent the spread of germs and keep you healthy.

Here are some key times when you should wash your hands with soap and water:

If your hands are visibly dirty, wash them with soap and water. This will remove dirt, grime, and germs from your hands, making them clean and hygienic.

Wash your hands with soap and water to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. This simple habit can minimize the spread of influenza, COVID-19, and other infectious diseases.

Hand washing has many significant health benefits, including preventing infectious causes of diarrhea and decreasing respiratory infections. By washing your hands regularly, you can reduce infant mortality rate at home birth deliveries.

Introducing simple behavioral changes, such as hand washing with soap, can reduce childhood mortality rates related to respiratory and diarrheal diseases in developing countries. In fact, hand washing with soap can reduce the rate of mortality from these diseases by almost 50%.

Handwashing with soap is the single most effective and inexpensive way to prevent diarrhea and acute respiratory infections (ARI). This automatic behavior performed in homes, schools, and communities worldwide can save more lives than any single vaccine or medical intervention.

Here are some key statistics that highlight the importance of hand washing:

Dial is a trusted brand when it comes to antibacterial hand soaps. Dial's antibacterial defense liquid hand soaps kill 99.9% of bacteria encountered in household settings.

If you have sensitive skin, you might want to consider Dial's antibacterial and sensitive fragrance-free liquid hand soap, which is gentle on skin, hypoallergenic, and dermatologist tested.

This soap is a great option if you're looking for a fragrance-free antibacterial hand soap that won't irritate your skin.

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When it comes to choosing a soap, the type of soap doesn't make a huge difference in terms of effectiveness. Plain soap is just as good at disinfecting your hands as over-the-counter antibacterial soaps.

In fact, research has found that antibacterial soaps aren’t any more effective at killing germs than regular, everyday soaps. This is likely because the FDA banned the use of antibacterial agents triclosan and triclocarban in 2017 due to concerns over antibacterial resistance, systemic absorption, endocrine disruption, allergic reactions, and overall ineffectiveness.

You can safely throw out any older bottles of antibacterial soap you may have and just use regular soap instead. This is a good idea, especially considering the potential risks associated with antibacterial agents.

It's also worth noting that the water temperature doesn't seem to make a difference in terms of germ removal. One study found that washing your hands in warm water doesn't get rid of more germs than washing in cold or hot water.

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You can make your own hand washing station using a hanging jerrycan or gourd with suitable holes. This is a simple and effective way to conserve water.

In situations where tap water and soap are not available, using ash can be an option. This might be necessary in developing countries where access to clean water is limited.

Low-cost hand washing technologies can be adapted for households and facilities with multiple users. For households, options include tippy taps, bucket/container with tap, and conventional taps with or without basins.

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A tippy-tap is a simple technology using a jug suspended by a rope and a foot-operated lever to pour a small amount of water over the hands and a bar of soap.

Here are some low-cost options for hand washing in situations with limited water supply:

In situations with limited water supply, it's essential to conserve water and use low-cost options for hand washing.

Medical use and effectiveness of hand washing with soap and water is well established.

The effectiveness of hand washing in preventing disease in hospitals was discovered by Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis in 1846.

Electronic devices that provide feedback can remind hospital staff to wash their hands when they forget, which has been shown to decrease infection rates.

Washing the hands or using a hand antiseptic before and after tending to a sick person is crucial in reducing the spread of pathogens.

Washing with plain soap results in more than triple the rate of bacterial infectious disease transmitted to food as compared to washing with antibacterial soap.

Medical hand-washing became mandatory long after Hungarian physician Ignaz Semmelweis discovered its effectiveness in 1846. This delayed adoption highlights the importance of continuous education and awareness about the effectiveness of hand-washing.

Washing with plain soap results in more than triple the rate of bacterial infectious disease transmitted to food as compared to washing with antibacterial soap. This is a crucial consideration for healthcare settings where food handling is involved.

The first 20% of hand-cleansing provides the greatest benefit in controlling staphylococcal infections in hospitals. This suggests that even brief and frequent hand-cleansing can make a significant difference.

Interventions to improve hand hygiene in healthcare settings can involve education for staff on hand washing, increasing the availability of alcohol-based hand rub, and written and verbal reminders to staff.

Additional reading: When Should Staff Wash Hands with Soap and Water

The importance of hand washing has been recognized for centuries, dating back to 1777 when English obstetrician Charles White first highlighted its significance.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, pioneers of medicine like Alexander Gordon, James Young Simpson, and Oliver Wendell Holmes also emphasized the importance of hand washing, especially for people in vulnerable circumstances.

Florence Nightingale, the English "founder of modern nursing", further promoted hand washing during the Crimean War.

Ignaz Semmelweis, a Hungarian obstetrician, recognized the importance of hand washing in 1847, but his work was largely ignored at the time.

It wasn't until the 1980s that the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention actively promoted hand hygiene as a way to prevent the spread of infection.

The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 led to a significant shift in social norms regarding hand washing, making it more prevalent worldwide.

You can find plenty of educational resources to help you and your loved ones understand the importance of washing your hands with soap and water.

Check out the CDC's handwashing website for a wealth of information and tips on keeping yourself and others healthy.

The CDC also offers a variety of handwashing health promotion materials that can be used in schools, communities, and workplaces.

If you're looking for something more visual, you can print out the "Wash Your Hands!" poster, P-01710, and display it in a public place.

For a quick reference guide, grab the Handwashing fact sheet, P-42052, or the Handwashing after animal contact fact sheet, P-01699.

The General handwashing sign, P-42135, can be a great addition to any bathroom or kitchen.

If you're looking for more in-depth information, consider checking out the Handy Hygiene Tips campaign.