Steps

Additional Information

1. Inspect hands for open cuts or wounds, and cuticle for tears. 

Open cuts or wounds can harbour microorganisms and should be covered prior to starting client care. 

Nails should be short, with no nail polish or acrylic nails. 

2. Remove all jewellery. 

No rings or bracelets. Watches should be pushed above the wrist or removed. 

Push long sleeves above wrists. 

Make sure your hair is up and off your shoulders.

Secure headwear (e.g., hijab, kipper, turban, taqiyah) to your head and tuck in any excess material into your uniform to avoid contamination.

3. Position yourself in front of the sink. 

Stand in front of the sink, keeping your hands and clothing away and off the sink surface. 

4. Wet hands and wrists with warm water.

A comfortable temperature of warm water should be used. Hot or cold water may damage skin and lead to dryness.

Adjust water to a medium flow. Too slow may not remove debris, and too fast can cause splashing of microorganisms onto your clothing and sink area. 

Wet hands and wrists thoroughly under running water. 

5. Apply 1 to 2 pumps of soap.

Enough soap should be used to cover both hands and wrist. Create a lather on the palms, back of hands, fingers, thumbs, and wrists.

6. Lather soap and rub palms together.

Ensure all surfaces of the palms are covered with soap, using friction to lather all surface areas for a minimum of 20 seconds to remove transient bacteria, debris, and oil.

Keep hands and forearms lower than elbows to facilitate the removal of microorganisms by running down and off your hands and into the sink. 

7. Rub in between fingers and around fingers.

Ensure all surfaces of the fingers are covered with soap, using friction to remove debris and oil.

8. Rub the back of each hand with the palm of the opposite hand.

Ensure all surfaces on the back of the hands are covered with soap, using friction to remove debris and oil.

9. Press and rub fingernails and fingertips into the palm of the opposite hand.

Ensure all surfaces around the fingertips are covered with soap and rub under each fingernail bed by rubbing into the palms, using friction to remove debris and oil.

10. Rub each thumb in a circle with the palm of the opposite hand.

Ensure all surfaces around the thumbs are covered with soap, up to the wrist and around wrists, using friction to remove debris and oil.

11. Rinse hands under water by keeping fingers pointing downward toward the drain.

Rinsing in this way allows the oil and debris to be washed off the hands and down the drain.

Thoroughly rinse hands to remove soap. Any soap that remains on the hands can lead to dryness or breakdown in skin integrity. 

12. Pat hands thoroughly dry using a clean paper towel.

Use a gentle action to prevent skin irritation. Dry hands from fingertips to wrists in one direction to prevent re-contamination. 

13. Using a new clean paper towel, turn off the faucet.

Using a new paper towel prevents re-contamination of hands by touching dirty faucet handles.

14. Assess hands to ensure all soiled areas are clean. Hands are now safe to use.

Source: PIDAC, 2012; PIDAC, 2014.