When to Wash Hands
Whenever your hands are visibly soiled and you are about to eat something, you should wash your hands. But there are many instances when you may forget to wash your hands such as after touching your shoes, playing with your pet, after coughing or sneezing, and after treating a wound. Remember to wash the hands for at least 20 seconds to avoid the contact of germs with your body.
Use the 20 second rule
Begin by splashing your hands with a bit of water, then squirting a bit of soap into your palms. Lather, making sure you're getting into all the crevices - in between your fingers, under your nails, and in the crook of your thumb are places that are commonly missed.
When washing your hands, aim for a minimum of twenty seconds. Many people recommend singing "happy birthday" twice, but in public, it may be best just to count to twenty in your head. Begin counting as soon as you start lathering, and rinse once the twenty seconds has elapsed.
Wash the Entire Surface
Clean the entire surface of your hand and the spots that can be easily left unwashed. Germs stick to the hands because they are the most significant part of the body. To maintain health it is necessary to clean the hands often and completely.
Spaces between the fingers, the area near the wrists and under the nails is often ignored when washing hands. To wash away all the germs, lather with soap and rub the fingers over each other, spread the soap to the wrists, and rub the tips of your fingers on the palm of the other hand for soap to reach the inside of the fingernails. Wash the soap well with water.
If you have long nails that are not easy to clean, file them to a good length so that they may not be hiding any bacteria inside them.
