How Do I Wash My Hands Properly?

1. How do I wash my hands properly?
To eliminate all traces of the virus on your hands, a quick scrub and a rinse
won’t cut it. Below is a step-by-step process for effective handwashing.
 Step 1: Wet hands with running water

 Step 2: Apply enough soap to cover wet hands
 Step 3: Scrub all surfaces of the hands – including back of hands,
between fingers and under nails – for at least 20 seconds.
 Step 4: Rinse thoroughly with running water
 Step 5: Dry hands with a clean cloth or single-use towel
2. How long should I wash my hands for?
You should wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds. An easy way to time
it is by singing the full happy birthday song, twice.
The same goes for hand sanitizer: use a sanitizer that contains at least 60%
alcohol and rub it into your hands for at least 20 seconds to ensure full
coverage.
3. When should I wash my hands?
In the context of COVID-19 prevention, you should make sure to wash your
hands at the following times:
 After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing

 After visiting a public space, including public transportation, markets
and places of worship
 After touching surfaces outside of the home, including money
 Before, during and after caring for a sick person
 Before and after eating
In general, you should always wash your hands at the following times:
 After using the toilet

 Before and after eating
 After handling garbage
 After touching animals and pets
 After changing babies’ diapers or helping children use the toilet
 When your hands are visibly dirty
4. How can I help my child wash his or her hands?
You can help children wash their hands by making handwashing easier for
them, for instance, by setting up a stool so they can reach water and soap by
themselves. You can make it fun for them by singing their favorite songs
while you help them rub their hands.

5. Do I need to use warm water to wash my hands?
No, you can use any temperature of water to wash your hands. Cold water
and warm water are equally effective at killing germs and viruses – as long as
you use soap!
6. Do I need to dry my hands with a towel?
Germs spread more easily from wet skin than from dry skin, so drying your
hands completely is an important step. Paper towels or clean cloths are the
most effective way to remove germs without spreading them to other
surfaces.
7. Which is better: washing your hands or using hand sanitizer?
In general, both handwashing with soap and water and hand sanitizer, when
practiced/used correctly, are highly effective at killing most germs and
pathogens. Hand sanitizer is often more convenient when you are outside of
the home, but can be expensive or difficult to find in emergency contexts.
Also, alcohol-based hand sanitizer kills the coronavirus, but it does not kill all
kinds of bacteria and viruses. For example, it is relatively ineffective against
the norovirus and rotavirus.
8. What if I don’t have soap?

Using chlorinated water or hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per
cent alcohol are the best second options if you do not have soap and running
water. In cases where these are not available, using soapy water or ash may
help remove bacteria, though not as effectively. If these methods are used, it
is important to wash your hands as soon as possible when you do have
access to handwashing facilities, and avoid contact with people and surfaces
in the meantime.
9. How else can I help stop the spread of the coronavirus?

 Use proper sneezing and coughing etiquette: Cover your mouth and
nose with a flexed elbow or tissue when coughing or sneezing, dispose
of used tissue immediately, and wash your hands
 Avoid touching your face (mouth, nose, eyes)
 Practice social distancing: Avoiding shaking hands, hugging or kissing
people, sharing food, utensils, cups and towels
 Avoid close contact with anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms
 Seek medical care early if you or your child has a fever, cough or
difficulty breathing
 Clean surfaces that might have come in touch with the virus, and
generally clean surfaces more frequently (especially in public spaces)

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1. How do I wash my hands properly?

 Step 1: Wet hands with running water

2. How long should I wash my hands for?

3. When should I wash my hands?

 After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing

 After using the toilet

4. How can I help my child wash his or her hands?

5. Do I need to use warm water to wash my hands?

6. Do I need to dry my hands with a towel?

7. Which is better: washing your hands or using hand sanitizer?

8. What if I don’t have soap?

9. How else can I help stop the spread of the coronavirus?

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