Washing our hands is something we do over and over throughout the day, but many of us still don’t know the right way to do it. And on the gross flip side, a study from Michigan State University’s School of Hospitality and Business found that only 5 percent of people wash their hands enough to kill germs after using the bathroom, and 10 percent skipped the hygienic step completely. Carl Borchgrevink, an associate professor behind the experiment, revealed that 33 percent of hand washers didn’t use soap. Yikes! So if you’re ready to kick germs to the curb. Here’s a quick tutorial to keep your hands squeaky clean:

STEP 1

Skip hand sanitizer and always use soap: a quick rinse with just water won’t get rid of all the harmful germs that could make you sick.

Bathrooms, especially door handles, are crawling with germs. The alcohol found in hand sanitizer “kills most viruses, but some, like the kind of vomiting virus that goes around in winter, are a little heartier and harder to kill” says Fran Wallach, an associate professor of medicine and infectious disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. 

“You also need the mechanical action of the soap and water. The friction gets rid of material from blood and body fluids that can build up on your hands. I use the analogy of a lasagna pan. If you put it through the dishwasher without manually cleaning it first, it doesn’t really get clean.” – Fran Wallach (allure.com)

Run your hands under warm water with a clean bar of soap or liquid anti-bacterial soap. 

STEP 2

Rub your hands vigorously together for 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice) and then rinse well. 

STEP 3

Dry hands with a clean towel, then use it to turn off the water. Now you have germ-free hands. Voila!

If you’re a visual learner (or just want a quick laugh), watch this quick video from the Annoying Orange: