How Long Should You Wash Your Hands?

You touch an infinite number of things in a day: doorknobs, light switches, phones, pet food bowls, keyboards, shopping carts, car doors. And while it’s not fun to think about, every one of those surfaces carries viruses and bacteria that can transfer to your hands.

In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that around 80% of common infectious illnesses, like the common cold and the flu, are spread through dirty hands.

Luckily, there’s a simple and effective way to keep those germs from getting you (and others) sick: washing your hands.

"Handwashing may seem pretty basic," says Dr. Allison Edwards, Medical Director of Sesame, "but it’s actually one of the most powerful tools we have for stopping the spread of germs and preventing illnesses."

Despite this, a 2025 report found that only 3 out of 5 of American adults knew the right amount of time to wash their hands.

So, how long should you be washing your hands? What’s the right way to wash them? And are soap and hand sanitizer equally effective? Let’s break it down.

What is handwashing?

Handwashing is the simple act of cleaning your hands with plain soap and clean water to remove dirt, germs, chemicals and more.

When you rub your hands together with soap and water, you create a lather that helps remove germs from the skin. Those bacteria and other debris are then rinsed away under running water.

Whether you’re using bar soap, liquid soap, or even antibacterial soap, the goal is the same: clean hands that are less likely to spread illness.

How long should you wash your hands for?

The CDC recommends scrubbing your hands for at least 20 seconds. An easy trick? Sing the “Happy Birthday” song in your head twice. That’s about enough time to make sure germs are gone.

Make sure you cover:

• Palms and backs of your hands
• In between your fingers
• Under your nails
• Thumbs and wrists

How to wash your hands correctly

If you need a refresher on handwashing, or if you’re trying to teach good hand hygiene to a youngster, these steps show you how to wash your hands the right way:

• Wet your hands with clean, running water. Either warm water or cold water will work; studies show that both are equally effective at removing germs.
• Apply plain soap (liquid soap, bar soap, or foam will all work) and create a lather by rubbing your hands together.
• Scrub your palms, backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails for at least 20 seconds – get into all the nooks and crannies!
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel, paper towel, or air dryer. If you can, use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the bathroom door. If you don’t have a towel, air-dry your hands completely.

“Learning how to wash your hands properly is incredibly important for both adults and children,” says Dr. Edwards. “There are so many ways to do it poorly, but once you’ve got a good routine, it becomes second nature.”

Why is handwashing important?

Good hand hygiene reduces your chances of getting sick and helps protect others around you. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that handwashing can reduce your risk of catching a GI illness by 30%.

Proper handwashing can:

• Kill germs that cause colds, flu, and coronavirus
• Protect you after sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose
• Protect others from contracting bacteria or viruses from your hands
• Reduce the chance of foodborne illnesses after touching raw meat or pet food

Proper handwashing is also one of the best ways to prevent infections in healthcare settings. Studies have found that hospitals where employees wash their hands well (and often) have fewer patients with hospital-acquired infections. When healthcare workers wash their hands frequently, patients stay healthier.

The simple act of handwashing may even reduce antibiotic resistance! Since handwashing can reduce infections, fewer antibiotics are prescribed for those infections – which helps prevent those medications from being overprescribed.

When should you be washing your hands?

According to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), adults are likely to wash their hands after using the bathroom (69%) and when preparing food (48%). But those aren’t the only scenarios where you should be washing your hands.

Below are some common situations where handwashing is important:

• Before eating or preparing food
• After using the restroom
• After leaving a doctor’s office, pharmacy or hospital
• After being in a restaurant or cafe
• After sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose
• After touching pet food or animals
• After being in a public place and touching surfaces like doorknobs, shopping carts, or handrails
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick

What’s more effective, handwashing or hand sanitizer?

It may surprise you to know that handwashing with plain soap and running water is still the best way to clean your hands.

Why? Because while hand sanitizers can eliminate germs, they don’t actually remove dirt, chemicals, or grease.

If you’re in a pinch and don’t have soap and clean water available, a dime-sized amount of alcohol-based hand sanitizer (with at least 60% alcohol, as recommended by the FDA) is a good option and accomplishes the goal of reducing the spread of illness. But at the end of the day, traditional handwashing is the winner to get good, clean hands.

How Sesame can help

Try as you might, washing your hands won’t stop every virus or infection. Even with top-tier hand hygiene, you can still catch something (especially in healthcare settings or during cold and flu season).

That’s where Sesame comes in! If you’re feeling under the weather, providers on Sesame offer same-day telehealth visits so that you can get care from the comfort of your couch – no insurance needed.

Whether you’re dealing with a lingering cough, a stomach bug, or a nose that won’t stop running, you’ll be able to get the care you need without getting stuck sitting in a germy waiting room.