Handwashing Timer
A 20-second handwashing timer following CDC guidance, the five-step technique, and how alcohol hand rub contact time differs from washing with soap.
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The CDC recommends scrubbing hands with soap for at least twenty seconds as part of a five-step process: wet, lather, scrub, rinse, dry[1]. Twenty seconds is the scrubbing step specifically — not the whole wash — which is why a hurried wash that includes wetting and rinsing in the count falls short.
Twenty seconds is long enough to cover the surfaces people routinely miss and short enough to be realistic dozens of times a day. Most people substantially overestimate how long they wash for, which is the practical reason a timer or a hummed song helps at all.
Cover the places people miss
Palms get washed well and almost nothing else does. Backs of hands, between fingers, thumbs, fingertips and under the nails are the areas consistently under-cleaned, and they are where the twenty seconds should actually go.
A useful order is palms, backs, interlaced fingers, thumbs, fingertips into palms, then wrists. Doing it in a fixed sequence makes it far more likely that every surface is covered rather than the same two.
Soap and water versus hand rub
Alcohol-based hand rub is a different procedure with a different time. It works by contact and needs enough product to keep hands wet for the manufacturer's stated contact time, typically around twenty to thirty seconds of rubbing until dry.
It is also less effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy, and against certain organisms, which is why soap and water remains the recommendation after using the toilet, before eating, and whenever hands look or feel dirty.
Drying is part of it
Wet hands transfer microbes more readily than dry ones, so drying properly is part of the process rather than an afterthought. A clean towel or air drying both work.
The other habit worth having is turning off the tap with the towel rather than with clean hands in a public washroom. It is a small thing and it undoes a portion of the wash if skipped.
CDC handwashing steps and how alcohol hand rub differs[1]. Follow the product's own instructions for contact time.
| Step | Duration | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Wet hands | — | Clean running water, any temperature |
| Lather with soap | — | Include backs, between fingers, nails |
| Scrub | 20 s | The timed step |
| Rinse | — | Clean running water |
| Dry | — | Clean towel or air dry |
| Alcohol hand rub | Until dry | Typically 20–30 s; follow the label |
- Twenty seconds is the scrubbing step, not the whole wash — a count that includes wetting and rinsing falls short.
- Hand rub is less effective on visibly dirty or greasy hands, and against certain organisms.
Source: CDC — Clean Hands, handwashing steps and duration guidance
Sources
- CDC — Clean Hands, handwashing steps and duration guidance , Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — accessed 2026-07-28