When washing your hands, be sure to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and dry with a clean towel or air dry them.

Published: May 5, 2017 | Updated: March 8, 2020

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these recommendations for when you should wash your hands:

• Before, during and after preparing food
• Before eating food
• Before and after caring for someone who is sick
• Before and after treating a cut or wound
• After using the toilet
• After changing diapers or cleaning up a child who has used the toilet
• After blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
• After touching an animal, animal food or treats, or animal waste
• After touching garbage

When washing your hands, be sure to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds and dry with a clean towel or air dry them.

Keeping one another safe and germ-free is in everyone’s hands. Wash your hands today and every day. You might just save a life.