How long should you wash your hands?

How long should you wash your hands?

• A. 20-30 seconds
• B. 5 seconds
• C. 1 minute
• D. 2-3 minutes

Answer: (A)

The idea behind proper handwashing time is to give soap and friction enough opportunity to lift and flush microbes from every part of your hands. Washing for about 20–30 seconds provides sufficient contact time for the soap to penetrate oily residues and for you to scrub all surfaces—palms, backs, between fingers, under nails, and around thumbs and wrists—so germs are removed when you rinse. Five seconds isn’t enough to thoroughly clean all areas, so many microbes can remain. One minute is longer than necessary for most situations and isn’t required to achieve good cleaning. Two to three minutes is excessive and impractical, and it’s unlikely you’ll maintain proper technique for that long in everyday settings. To do it well, wet hands, apply soap, and scrub for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces, then rinse and dry completely.

The idea behind proper handwashing time is to give soap and friction enough opportunity to lift and flush microbes from every part of your hands. Washing for about 20–30 seconds provides sufficient contact time for the soap to penetrate oily residues and for you to scrub all surfaces—palms, backs, between fingers, under nails, and around thumbs and wrists—so germs are removed when you rinse.

Five seconds isn’t enough to thoroughly clean all areas, so many microbes can remain. One minute is longer than necessary for most situations and isn’t required to achieve good cleaning. Two to three minutes is excessive and impractical, and it’s unlikely you’ll maintain proper technique for that long in everyday settings.

To do it well, wet hands, apply soap, and scrub for at least 20 seconds, covering all surfaces, then rinse and dry completely.