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How to wash your hands illustration: the 6-step guide shows how to make sure you wash your hands thoroughly; getting right into all the nooks, crannies, creases and folds of your fingers, thumbs, palms and backs of your hands. A minimum of 20 seconds wash time is recommended.

How to wash your hands

In these times, and to be honest most times, washing your hands well is one of the very best things you can do to keep yourself healthy and free from infections.

You should use soap if you have it, it should take about 20s, and if you follow these steps you’ll cover pretty much all of the different parts of your hands. In standard, cursory handwashing it’s very easy to miss what ought to be obvious places to clean like your fingertips. Then try to avoid touching taps and door handles on your way out of public places.

I find doing these steps takes about 20s, but to make sure you could also try singing a song segment you like. NPR has some suggestions: Keep flu at bay with a song.

Some other hygiene sketches to bear in mind:

The handwashing guidance is from the wonderful NHS.

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