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Get Hands-on With Health

Learn the right way to keep your hands clean and prevent the spread of germs. Dispel the common misconceptions of hand hygiene and start practising proper hand washing today!

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Wash your hands well
and stay in the pink of health!

Don’t be a spreader of germs. Practise proper hand washing habits and prevent the spread of germs that make you sick.

The Coolest Hand Wash Guide
Clean hands will always be in style! Follow these 8 steps for at least 20 seconds to wash the germs away.
 
What if we could see how germs spread?
See how you can break the chain of infection. Wash your hands regularly with soap and water to protect you and your loved ones.
 

Wash, Don’t Rinse

Stop rushing, start washing
It takes at least 20 seconds of scrubbing with soap and water to break germs down.
Scrub it clean
Fingertips, between your fingers,
the back of your hands and under your nails,
a scrubbing motion helps to break down
the dirty particles on your hands.
Don’t just wipe
Simply using water or wet wipes can’t break germs down.
Not all sanitisers are the same
Sanitisers can be helpful, but only the right ones. Only use hand sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol to help break germs down when you are on the go.
Soap is better
Always use soap to clean your hands.
Hand sanitisers, while helpful,
can’t replace proper hand washing.

When to Wash

Aaa-Choo!... Bless you!
Wash up!
Germs found in respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes can be carried through the air and land on your hands.
Trash the germs
Toss out the garbage, and the germs as well. It’s important to properly clear out the germs that come from handling rubbish.
Flush it away
Don’t forget to wash away the germs on your hands after you relieve yourself.
Don’t make your hands
a public hotspot for germs
Always remember to wash your hands after
touching common and public surfaces.

Don’t feed on germs
Don’t let your meals come with an extra serving of germs. Wash your hands before and after you eat.
Keep germs off your face
Guilty of being a face-toucher? Did you know that we touch our face countless times throughout the day? Break this habit, resist the urge and wash your hands before you touch your face or eyes.
Knowing when to wash your hands is an important step in preventing the spread of infections. Here are the key times when you should wash your hands:
Download the list of occasions to wash your hands

Wash Regularly

Frequent hand washing is effective
When it comes to keeping your hands clean, it’s better to be regular about it. Wash your hands frequently to prevent germs from building up.

Feeling clean is not enough
Your hands can be dirty even when you don’t touch unclean surfaces.

Can’t dodge the germs
No matter how fast your hands
may be, you can’t avoid the germs in
the air particles that are expelled and projected during close contact.
Germs like it damp
Germs often grow where
there is moisture. Dry your hands
and surfaces as thoroughly as you can, because moist places are where germs thrive.
Relieve yourself of germs
Toilet plumes, the particles that get airborne with every flush, may carry germs — and cause germs to linger in the air long enough to land on your hands.

Read more about how you can make proper hand washing your healthy habit.

Did you know these about hand washing?
Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds reduces germ count by up to 99%.
Using soap and water to wash your hands is more effective than using hand sanitiser. Soap and water remove certain germs that hand sanitisers cannot kill.
Percentage of alcohol in hand sanitisers matters. Choose one that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Wet wipes are not as effective as soap and water. Those that are not at least 60% alcohol do not remove germs from your hands.

Help yourself and your loved ones stay healthy by washing your hands regularly, especially during these key occasions:
  • Before and after meals
  • After using the toilet
  • Before and after handling food
  • After touching garbage
  • After touching common surfaces
    (e.g door handles, railings, light switches, shopping carts/baskets)
  • After blowing nose, sneezing or coughing
  • Before and after using public transportation
Download the list of occasions to wash your hands

Washing your hands with water alone is less effective than washing them with soap. That’s because the friction from the rubbing motion when using soap breaks down the grease and dirt that carry most germs, leaving your hands clean and smelling pleasant.

Washing hands with soap and water for 15 seconds (about the time it takes to sing the chorus of the birthday song) reduces bacterial count by about 90%. When another 15 seconds is added, the bacterial count drops by close to 99.9%. Evidence suggests that washing hands for 15 to 30 seconds removes more germs than washing for shorter periods. Many countries and global organisations recommend 20 seconds of hand washing.

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Get Hands-on With Health
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