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• Method 2 of 2: Use a hand sanitizer

1 Wash your hands if they are dirty. Wash your hands every time you think they are not clean enough. In addition, in some situations, you will definitely need to wash your hands, even if you have washed them recently. Be sure to wash your hands thoroughly:

• before treating wounds and immediately after treatment;
• before and after cooking, as well as before eating;
• before and after contact with a sick person;
• after using the toilet;
• after clearing your throat, sneezing, or blowing your nose;
• after you have removed the garbage or thrown it into the trash can or garbage chute;
• after changing the diaper;
• after you have touched animals, their waste, and also touched products of animal origin;
• before putting on or taking off contact lenses.

SPECIALIST'S ADVICE

World Health Organization

Global Health Agency The World Health Organization (WHO) is the United Nations specialized agency for international health. Founded in 1948, WHO monitors health risks, promotes health promotion and prevention, and coordinates international health cooperation and emergency response. WHO is currently leading and coordinating worldwide efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, helping countries prevent and detect disease and take action.

World Health Organization
Global Health Agency

Our specialist confirms: “Hands touch many surfaces and viruses can get on them. With dirty hands, the virus can be injected into the eyes, nose, or mouth. Washing your hands with soap and water, or treating them with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, kills the viruses that get on them.

2 Wash your hands for at least 20-30 seconds. You can wash them even longer if you want. 20-30 seconds is enough to wash away all germs.

3 Dampen your hands with warm or cool water. Turn on the tap and hold your hands under running water. You can wash your hands with either warm or cool water. Moisten your palms and the back of your hands well to help lather them more evenly.

• To wet your hands, hold them under running water. Stagnant water can be contaminated with bacteria and other pathogens.

4 Apply enough soap to your hands to distribute it all over your hands. If you are using liquid soap, squeeze a small amount (about the size of a two-ruble coin) from a bottle into the palm of your hand. Then rub your palms together vigorously for a good lather.

• You can use liquid soap, or you can use a bar of regular soap. Both antibacterial and regular soap will work.

5 Interlace the fingers of your right and left hand to wash the skin between your fingers. Place one hand on top of the other with both hands palms facing down. Place the fingers of your upper hand between the fingers of your lower hand. Moving your hands in relation to each other without disengaging your fingers will effectively cleanse the skin between your fingers. Then interlace your fingers with your palms facing each other and repeat the process.

• Wash each hand as described for 3-5 seconds.

6 Grasp the thumb of one hand with the fingers of the other hand and rotate your hands relative to each other. Wrap your left thumb with your right fingers. Rotate your right hand back and forth to thoroughly lather the part of the hand where the thumb meets the palm. After 2-3 seconds, change the position of your hands and wash your right thumb in the same way.

• Try to wrap your finger tightly around your finger to help rub the lather into your skin.

7 Rub your palms with your fingertips. Extend the fingers of your left hand so that your open palm is facing up. Bend the fingers of your right hand and use the tips to scrape the palm of your left hand. Continue to rub the lather into your palm for 3-4 seconds, then wash the palm of your right hand in the same way.

• This will allow the suds to get under your nails and help remove the dirt.

Advice: in general, hand washing should take approximately 20 seconds. If you find it difficult to tell the time without a clock, sing the song "Happy Birthday to You" twice - during this time you will thoroughly wash your hands. If you don't know this song, just slowly count to 20.

8 Rinse off the lather. After you have thoroughly lathered your hands and cleansed your skin, put your hands back under running water and hold it for a while. Keep your hands under running water until all foam has been rinsed off.

9 Dry your hands with a clean towel. Take a clean, dry towel and dry your hands well.If possible, use disposable paper towels to help prevent the spread of microorganisms. Dry your hands thoroughly so that the towel absorbs as much water as possible and the skin is almost dry.

• If you need to use an automatic hand dryer, rotate your hands under the hot air and rub them together to completely dry your hands.

10 Use a towel to close the tap. If the tap does not turn off automatically, use a towel to close the tap. In this way, germs that get on the handle of the tap will not get on your freshly washed hands. If you used a disposable towel, discard it and hang up the cloth towel to dry or put it in the dirty laundry basket.

• If you are unable to close the tap with a towel, try closing it with your elbow.
• If you use a cloth towel, wash it at least once every 2-3 days to prevent the towel cloth from becoming a breeding ground for germs.

Method 2 of 2: Use a hand sanitizer

1. 1 Consider whether it makes sense to use an antiseptic. In some cases, you can use an alcohol-based hand cleaner instead of washing your hands with soap and water. Before doing this, however, assess the situation. So, consider the following circumstances:
   • Look at your hands - do they look dirty? If you see dirt or other contaminants on your hands, an antiseptic will not help clean your hands - you need to wash them with soap and water.
   • What can get your hands dirty? Alcohol-based antibacterial agents will not remove all microorganisms from the skin of your hands; in addition, they are useless if pesticides or heavy metals come into contact with your hands. In this case, you cannot do without soap and water.
   • Is it possible to wash your hands with water? If you can't wash your hands under running water, use an antiseptic - it's better than nothing. However, if you have the opportunity to wash your hands with soap and running water, it is best to do so.
2. 2 Squeeze some funds (about the size of a ruble coin) onto your hand. It is better to choose a product containing at least 60% alcohol - it is these products that most effectively destroy bacteria. If you are using a bottle with a pump, press down on it to squeeze some of the product (about the size of a ruble coin) into the palm of your hand. If you are using the product in a soft bottle, open the cap, place the bottle over your palm, turn it upside down and squeeze lightly - the required amount will pour out of the hole onto the palm.
   • If you have antibacterial alcohol wipes, you can wipe your hands with them.
3. 3 Rub the product over your hands and wait for it to evaporate. Rub your hands together for 20 seconds to distribute the product over your skin, just as you would when washing your hands. Interlace your fingers together to clear the skin between your fingers. Scrub your palms with your fingertips to get the product under your nails. Rub the product until it is completely dry.