How to Practice Proper Hand Hygiene: Steps, Timing, Tips

Your hands collect germs all day—from door handles and countertops. Touch your eyes, nose, or a child’s scraped knee and those microbes get a free ride. A quick rinse isn’t enough, especially when you’re cooking, caregiving, or managing skin bumps at home, such as molluscum.

The fix is simple: proper hand hygiene. Know when to clean, choose soap and water or a 60%+ alcohol sanitizer, scrub or rub long enough, and dry well. These habits cut infections, protect skin, and keep households healthier.

This is especially important to help to stop the spread of infections like molluscum.

This guide turns expert recommendations into practical steps: when to clean, techniques for washing and sanitizing, how long to scrub, smarter drying, and staying clean in shared spaces. We’ll also cover kids, food and animals, wound care, skin-friendly tips, myths, and a simple kit. First up: when to clean your hands.

Step 1. Know when to clean your hands

Your hands pick up germs constantly. Build “when” moments into your day so proper hand hygiene becomes automatic. Health authorities recommend washing or sanitizing at these key times to break germ transfer in homes, schools, and workplaces.

• Before eating or preparing food.
• Before touching your eyes, nose, mouth, or inserting contact lenses.
• Before and after caring for someone sick or cleaning/treating wounds.
• After bathroom use, diaper changes, blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• After touching animals, pet food/treats, or cleaning cages/litter.
• After high-touch public surfaces (doorknobs, shopping carts, gas pumps), when entering/leaving public places, and when you get home.
• Whenever hands are visibly dirty or feel greasy.

Step 2. Choose soap and water or sanitizer for the situation

Choosing the right method is part of proper hand hygiene. It comes down to what’s on your hands and what’s available. Soap and water physically remove germs and grime; alcohol-based sanitizer kills many germs fast when you can’t get to a sink.

• Choose soap and water when: hands are visibly dirty or greasy; after using the toilet or changing diapers; after handling raw meat; after caring for vomiting/diarrhea, norovirus or C. diff; after touching chemicals, pesticides, or heavy metals.
• Use sanitizer (≥60% alcohol) when: there’s no sink; hands aren’t visibly soiled; between touches in public spaces or visits in healthcare settings. Rub all surfaces until dry.
• Skip “antibacterial” claims: plain soap works as well for everyday use.
• If you sanitize, wash with soap and water as soon as you can.

Step 3. Wash with soap and water: the correct technique

Soap, water, and friction do the heavy lifting. Done right, washing physically removes germs, dirt, and chemicals far better than a quick rinse. Make this simple, repeatable technique your baseline for proper hand hygiene at home, school, work, and after errands.

1. Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), then turn off the tap.
2. Apply plain soap and lather well.
3. Scrub all surfaces for at least 20 seconds:
   • Palms and backs of hands
   • Between fingers and around thumbs
   • Fingertips and under nails (rub tips into your opposite palm)
   • Wrists
4. Rinse thoroughly under running water until all soap is gone.
5. Dry completely with a clean towel or air-dry. In public restrooms, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door to avoid re-contamination.

Step 4. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer the right way

When a sink isn’t handy, alcohol-based sanitizer is your on‑the‑go backup. Choose a formula with at least 60% alcohol (≥60% ethanol or 70% isopropyl). Used correctly, your hands should feel dry in about 20 seconds.

1. Dispense enough to pool in your palm per the label.
2. Rub palms and backs of hands together.
3. Interlace fingers and sweep around both thumbs.
4. Clean fingertips and under nails by rubbing tips into the opposite palm.
5. Keep rubbing until completely dry—don’t wipe off or rinse.

Use sanitizer only on hands that aren’t visibly dirty or greasy. Prefer soap and water after bathroom or diaper changes, handling raw meat, or caring for vomiting/diarrhea (norovirus, C. diff). Supervise children, keep bottles out of reach, avoid contact with eyes, and wash with soap and water as soon as you can.

Step 5. Dry your hands properly to finish the job

Drying is the final, crucial step of proper hand hygiene. Germs spread more easily from wet skin, so finish every wash by drying completely. Use a clean towel or air-dry—both are effective—then avoid re‑contaminating your freshly cleaned hands on the way out.

• Choose your method: Use a clean towel at home or air-dry; in public restrooms, paper towels are ideal.
• Dry thoroughly: Pat dry all areas—palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs, and around nails—until completely dry.
• Prevent re-contamination: Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door.
• Skip shortcuts: Don’t wipe hands on clothing or leave them damp; keep drying until no moisture remains.

Step 6. Keep your hands clean after washing in public restrooms and shared spaces

Right after you wash is when re-contamination happens most—one grab of a faucet or door handle and you’re back where you started. Common high‑touch surfaces like door handles, rails, touchscreens, and keyboards are frequently contaminated, so use simple habits to stay clean until you’re out of the room.

• Use a paper towel as a barrier: Turn off the faucet and open the door with it, then toss it.
• Hands off your face: Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth until you’re clear of shared surfaces.
• Carry sanitizer (≥60% alcohol): Rub after you exit or after touching rails, elevator buttons, shopping carts.
• At work and school: Sanitize before and after shared keyboards, tools, gym or lab equipment.
• If you re-touch surfaces right away: Sanitize again—quick rubs keep you protected between sinks.

Step 7. Time it right: how long to scrub and rub

Timing seals the clean. With soap and water, scrub all hand surfaces for at least 20 seconds; with alcohol-based hand sanitizer, rub until hands feel dry, typically around 20 seconds. Don’t fixate on a stopwatch—proper hand hygiene is about covering every area thoroughly. If any spots feel missed, keep going.

• Use a built‑in timer: Sing “Happy Birthday” twice or hum the ABCs—about 20 seconds.
• Count it out: Slowly count to 20 while rotating areas—palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs, fingertips/nails, wrists.
• Set a quick timer: Use a watch or phone 20‑second timer to build the habit.
• For sanitizer: Rub every surface until completely dry—don’t rinse or wipe off early.

Step 8. Teach kids great hand hygiene habits

Kids copy what they see—so model proper hand hygiene and turn it into a routine that sticks. Keep it simple, fun, and safe: make bubbles, cover every surface, and time it with a song. Help them reach the sink and supervise sanitizer to prevent accidental swallowing.

• Make it a habit: Before eating, after the bathroom, after coughing/sneezing, and after touching pets.
• Use a timer kids know: Sing “Happy Birthday” twice (about 20 seconds).
• Cover all parts: Palms, backs, between fingers, thumbs, and fingertips/nails.
• Set them up to succeed: Keep a step stool by the sink and soap within reach.
• Sanitizer safety: Use ≥60% alcohol, rub until dry, supervise closely, and store out of reach.

Step 9. Follow hand hygiene in special situations (food, animals, caregiving, wounds)

Some tasks carry higher germ risks and call for extra‑careful, proper hand hygiene. When hands are greasy or contaminated with body fluids or pet waste, choose soap and water over sanitizer. Use sanitizer (≥60% alcohol) only when hands aren’t visibly dirty and a sink isn’t available.

• Food handling: Wash before cooking/eating and after touching raw meat, poultry, seafood, or eggs; after trash/compost; and after using cleaners. Use soap and water to remove grease and residues; sanitize between steps only if hands aren’t soiled.
• Animals and pet care: Wash after touching pets, pet food/treats, cages, aquariums, litter boxes, or animal waste. Clean hands before returning to the kitchen or handling a baby.
• Caregiving and illness: Wash before and after caring for someone sick; after diaper changes, bathroom help, or cleaning mucus/vomit/diarrhea. For vomiting/diarrhea (norovirus, C. diff), prefer soap and water; sanitize only as a backup.
• Wound care: Wash before and after changing dressings or bandaging. Scrub fingertips/under nails, dry completely, then handle sterile supplies. Keep cuts covered and avoid touching wounds with unwashed hands.

Step 10. Care for your skin to prevent dryness and irritation

Clean hands are only effective if the skin barrier stays healthy. Over‑washing or harsh routines can strip natural oils, cause cracking, and even make infections easier to spread. Build skin care into proper hand hygiene so you can wash often without soreness or flare‑ups.

• Moisturize after drying: Apply a hand cream with emollients right after each wash to lock in moisture.
• Use sanitizer when appropriate: Alcohol-based sanitizer (≥60%) is often less irritating than repeated soap-and-water cycles when hands aren’t visibly dirty.
• Stick to key moments: Avoid unnecessary washing outside the critical times listed above.
• Be gentle on trouble spots: If you have eczema or dermatitis, ask your healthcare provider about skin-safe products and routines.
• Keep a small tube handy: Stash moisturizer at sinks, in bags, and at your desk to make it automatic.

Step 11. Trim nails and manage jewelry for cleaner hands

Germs cling to the hard‑to‑reach spots—under nails and around rings and bracelets. Building these areas into your routine makes proper hand hygiene more effective and prevents quick re‑contamination right after you wash or sanitize.

• Keep nails short and smooth: Short nails are easier to scrub and rinse clean.
• Scrub fingertips and under nails: Rub fingertips into the opposite palm during washing or sanitizing to reach beneath the nail edge.
• Target thumbs and cuticles: These zones are often missed; give them extra passes.
• Mind your rings and bracelets: Lather and rub around them; when possible, slide or briefly remove to clean the skin beneath.
• Dry completely—including under bands: Moisture trapped under jewelry can spread microbes more easily.
• For sanitizer: Rub product around and beneath jewelry until hands are fully dry—don’t wipe off early.

Step 12. Avoid the most common handwashing mistakes

Even solid routines slip when you’re busy. Watch for these common mistakes that undo proper hand hygiene and let germs hitch a ride. Fixing them takes seconds and pays off with fewer colds, stomach bugs, and skin infections at home, at school, and on the go.

• Rinsing without soap.
• Scrubbing for less than 20 seconds.
• Missing thumbs, between fingers, fingertips/nails, backs, and wrists.
• Touching the faucet or door handle with bare hands after washing.
• Leaving hands damp or drying on clothing instead of a clean towel/air-dry.
• Using too little sanitizer or wiping it off before it dries.
• Sanitizing visibly dirty/greasy hands or after bathroom, diaper changes, raw meat, vomiting/diarrhea—choose soap and water.
• Skipping key moments: before eating/contacts; after coughing/sneezing, animal or pet‑care tasks.

Step 13. Myths vs facts about water temperature, antibacterial soap, and bar vs liquid soap

Confusion about “hot water only,” “antibacterial works better,” or “bar soap is dirty” can derail proper hand hygiene. The science is simpler: what matters most is using soap, covering every surface, and scrubbing long enough, then drying well.

• Myth: You need hot water to kill germs.
  Fact: Clean, running water—warm or cold—works. Focus on thorough lathering and at least 20 seconds of scrubbing.

• Myth: Antibacterial soap is superior.
  Fact: For everyday use, plain soap cleans just as well. Antibacterial soaps don’t outperform regular soap for preventing illness.

• Myth: Bar soap spreads germs; only liquid is safe.
  Fact: Any kind of soap is fine. In shared/public settings, liquid soap is preferred; at home, use whichever you’ll use consistently. What counts is time, coverage, and rinse.

Step 14. Hand hygiene when treating skin bumps or molluscum at home

When you’re treating molluscum or other skin bumps at home, proper hand hygiene prevents spread to new spots and family. Wash with soap and water for 20 seconds before and after touching lesions, dressings, or applicators; use ≥60% alcohol sanitizer only when hands aren’t dirty.

• Prep a clean area; wash and dry hands first.
• Apply with clean hands or a disposable swab; no double‑dipping.
• Cover bumps with a clean patch/bandage; don’t pick or scratch.
• Toss used swabs/patches; don’t share towels or razors; wash again.

Step 15. Build a simple hand hygiene kit for home, school, and travel

A ready-to-grab kit makes proper hand hygiene effortless wherever you are. Keep compact, leakproof supplies in the entryway, backpack, car, and travel bag so you can wash, sanitize, dry, and avoid re‑contamination on the go.

• Pocket sanitizer (≥60% alcohol): Travel size for quick rubs between sinks.
• Travel-size plain soap: For real washes when a faucet’s available.
• Tissues + folded paper towels: Blow, cover coughs, and use as door/faucet barriers.
• Small moisturizer: Emollient hand cream to protect skin after drying.
• Bandages/hydrocolloid patches: Cover cuts or bumps to reduce spread.
• Resealable bags: Separate clean items; contain used tissues/patches.
• Refresh routine: Refill weekly, check alcohol percentage, store out of kids’ reach.

Clean hands, healthier days

Strong hand hygiene habits pay off: fewer colds and stomach bugs, safer food prep, smoother caregiving, and less spread of skin infections. Keep it simple—clean at key moments, choose soap and water or a 60%+ sanitizer based on the situation, scrub all surfaces for about 20 seconds, then dry completely and protect your clean hands in shared spaces. Teach kids, care for your skin, and cover nails and jewelry. If you’re managing molluscum or other bumps at home, clean hands are your first line of defense. For gentle, practical support, visit Mollenol.