Health Tip: How to Wash Your Hands Properly

Be sure to scrub between your fingers and under your nails

May 14, 2012 RSS Feed Print

(HealthDay News) -- Got germs? Everyone does. So you need to wash your hands properly to prevent the potential spread of infection.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these guidelines for proper hand washing:

Rinse your hands under warm or cool running water, then apply soap.
Lather the soap between your hands, scrubbing your fingers, the fronts and backs of your hands and under your nails.
Wash for at least 20 seconds. That's about how long it takes to sing "Happy Birthday" to yourself.
Thoroughly rinse under clean running water, then dry your hands on a dry towel or let them air dry.