Stop Those Germs Make an Appointment Ask a Question Search Conditions This information has been reviewed and approved by Infection Preventionist Rosine Angbanzan, MPH (April 2021). Summary: Stop Those Germs You can get sick from getting germs on your hands and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. One of the best ways to protect yourself from serious infections is to clean your hands frequently and thoroughly. When to Clean Your Hands? Before touching your eyes, nose and mouth Before preparing food and eating After using or helping someone in the restroom, and changing diapers Before and after changing bandages After blowing your nose, coughing and sneezing After handling garbage, animals, animal food and animal waste Before and after caring for someone who is sick Cleaning with Soap and Water Wet your hands with clean water Lather your hands with soap, including the backs, under nails and between fingers Scrub hands for at least 20 seconds, long enough to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice Rinse hands thoroughly Dry hands with a clean towel or air dry Germs in Health-Care Settings Providers wash hands frequently and before putting on gloves Patients may ask providers to clean hands Using Hand Sanitizer Use sanitizer that’s at least 60 percent alcohol Rub product on hands, fingertips, thumbs, back of hands and between fingers Continue rubbing hands until hands feel dry (about 20 seconds) Germ Facts 20 seconds is needed to scrub your hands correctly 5% of hand washers scrub for at least 15 seconds 1 in 5 people don’t wash their hands after using the bathroom 100 MPH is how fast germs move during a sneeze 1 trillion is the the number of germs in 1 gram (1/4 teaspoon) of human feces More Information on Germs Keep Hands Clean Influenza Germy Items You Touch Every Day Cleaning Dirty Items Exercises to Boost Immunity Avoiding Infections at School Healthy Recipes to Boost Immunity Vaccines Preventing Foodborne Illnesses Want to use this on your website? Fill out the content usage request form and then copy this code: