Hand washing can help prevent coronavirus, but you’re probably not doing it right

The Bellingham Herald

The Bellingham Herald

With concerns about coronavirus around the world, experts offer washing your hands correctly as one of the ways to stay healthy.

The Centers for Disease Control website offers these five steps to washing your hands correctly:

• “Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.

• “Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.

• “Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.

• “Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.

• “Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.”

And if you don’t have water? Rub hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol on your hands and fingers until it’s dry, the CDC writes. That also takes about 20 seconds.