How long should hands be washed to ensure proper sanitation?

How long should hands be washed to ensure proper sanitation?

• A. 45 seconds
• B. 10 seconds
• C. 20 seconds
• D. 60 seconds

Answer: (C)

The main idea is that a washing time long enough for soap to do its job and for you to scrub all areas of the hands is needed to reduce germs effectively. About twenty seconds is the recommended minimum because it gives you time to cover every surface—palms, backs of the hands, between fingers, under nails, and around thumbs—and the friction from scrubbing helps lift and flush away microbes. Shorter times, like ten seconds, often miss spots and don’t remove as many germs. Much longer washes, such as forty-five or sixty seconds, don’t yield significant extra benefit for everyday sanitation and can dry the skin. A practical way to gauge twenty seconds is to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice while washing.

The main idea is that a washing time long enough for soap to do its job and for you to scrub all areas of the hands is needed to reduce germs effectively. About twenty seconds is the recommended minimum because it gives you time to cover every surface—palms, backs of the hands, between fingers, under nails, and around thumbs—and the friction from scrubbing helps lift and flush away microbes. Shorter times, like ten seconds, often miss spots and don’t remove as many germs. Much longer washes, such as forty-five or sixty seconds, don’t yield significant extra benefit for everyday sanitation and can dry the skin. A practical way to gauge twenty seconds is to sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice while washing.