Wash Your Hands With Soap

In general both handwashing with soap and water and hand sanitizer when practiced used correctly are highly effective at killing most germs and pathogens.

Wash your hands with soap.

If you re in control of the soap you re using you may want to pick a liquid or gel over foaming pump soap. Rub your hands vigorously for at least 20 seconds. Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dry them. Remember to scrub all surfaces including the backs of your hands wrists between your fingers and under your fingernails.

The soap helps germs slip off your skin as you rub your hands together. In a 2011 study that compared handwashing with and without soap researchers concluded that while soap is highly preferable reducing e. Wet your hands with clean running water either warm or cold. It s important to wash your hands before and after.

Washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available you can use an alcohol based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60 alcohol by looking at the product label. Apply soap and lather well.

Coli bacteria to less than 8 percent on hands washing.