Washing hands with soap and water

0. Wet hands with water.

1. Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces.

2. Rub hands palm to palm.

3. Right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa.

4. Palm to palm with fingers interlaced.

5. Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.

6. Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa.

7. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand on left palm and vice versa.

8. Rinse hands with water.

9. Dry hands thoroughly with a single-use towel.

10. Use towel to turn off faucet.

11. Your hands are now safe.

...

0. Wet hands with water.

1. Apply enough soap to cover all hand surfaces.

2. Rub hands palm to palm.

3. Right palm over left dorsum with interlaced fingers and vice versa.

4. Palm to palm with fingers interlaced.

5. Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked.

6. Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right palm and vice versa.

7. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with clasped fingers of right hand on left palm and vice versa.

8. Rinse hands with water.

9. Dry hands thoroughly with a single-use towel.

10. Use towel to turn off faucet.

11. Your hands are now safe.

...

Washing hands with soap and water (rather than using alcohol-based hand rub) is recommended in the following situations:

• If hands are visibly dirty or soiled, or contaminated with blood or other body fluids.
• After using the toilet.
• When exposure to spore-forming pathogens, including outbreaks of Clostridium difficile (a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhoea), is suspected or proven, as the friction from washing hands with soap and water will physically remove spores from hands.

 (rather than using alcohol-based hand rub) is recommended in the following situations:

• If hands are visibly dirty or soiled, or contaminated with blood or other body fluids.
• After using the toilet.
• When exposure to spore-forming pathogens, including outbreaks of Clostridium difficile (a bacterial infection that causes severe diarrhoea), is suspected or proven, as the friction from washing hands with soap and water will physically remove spores from hands.