Hand Hygiene, Explained Without the Jargon

It is the cheapest infection control measure there is, and the choice between soap and gel matters more than people realise.

Key takeaways

• Handwashing duration: 20 seconds with soap and running water
• Gel against norovirus: poorly effective; use soap and water
• Most useful single change: Use soap and water after any vomiting or diarrhoea.
• Commonest mistake: Relying on alcohol gel during a norovirus outbreak.
• See a doctor if any of the signs under "When to speak to a doctor" below apply to you.

The short answer

Removing pathogens from hands mechanically with soap and water, or chemically with alcohol rub.

Where it fits

This is part of Immunity. The rest of this page works through the figures and then the practical side.

The numbers, in one place

What that means in practice

In everyday terms:

• Use soap and water after any vomiting or diarrhoea
• Wash for a full twenty seconds, including thumbs and fingertips
• Dry hands properly; wet hands transfer more organisms
• Keep gel for when soap and water are unavailable

What gets people into trouble

And the things that tend to go wrong:

• Relying on alcohol gel during a norovirus outbreak
• Returning to work or school within 48 hours of symptoms stopping
• Assuming antibacterial soap is needed; plain soap works

Where to go next

• Hand Hygiene: Separating Myth From Guidance
• New to Hand Hygiene? Start Here
• Hand Hygiene — the reference entry
• The Evidence on Fever, Without the Hype
• Vitamin C: What the Evidence Actually Says

When to speak to a doctor

Contact NHS 111 or a GP for diarrhoea lasting more than seven days, vomiting that prevents you keeping fluids down for more than a day, blood in your stool, or signs of dehydration. Seek urgent advice for babies, older adults and immunosuppressed people, who dehydrate faster.

Where this comes from

• NHS — How to wash your hands
• UK Health Security Agency — norovirus guidance

How this page was put together

Every figure, recommendation and warning above is taken from the guidance named in Where this comes from. Nothing on this page is inferred, summarised or generalised beyond what those bodies publish: where they give a number, it is their number, and where they are silent, so are we. Pages are rebuilt whenever the underlying record changes. Sign-off by a named clinician, where it has happened, is shown at the top of the page along with the date.

Medical disclaimer

This article is general information, not medical advice. It cannot account for your own history, medication or circumstances. Always speak to a GP, pharmacist or another qualified health professional before making changes that affect your treatment, and never delay seeking medical advice because of something you have read here. In an emergency, call 999.