Handwashing: five steps and 20 seconds

Handwashing is a control step that interrupts transfer from hands to ready-to-eat food, utensils and food-contact surfaces. A quick rinse is not the same as the complete wash: soap, friction, rinsing and drying all matter.

The five-step sequence

1. Wet hands and exposed portions of the arms under clean, running water at the handwashing sink.
2. Apply soap. Use the amount needed to produce a lather.
3. Scrub hands and arms vigorously, including fingertips, between fingers, thumbs, backs of hands and wrists, for at least 20 seconds.
4. Rinse thoroughly under clean, running water so loosened soil and microbes are carried away.
5. Dry with a single-use towel or another method allowed by the applicable food code; use the towel to turn off a manual faucet when needed.

Wash at the right transitions

Wash before food preparation and before putting on gloves for a food task. Wash after using the toilet, touching the body or clothing, handling soiled equipment, coughing or sneezing into hands, eating, drinking, smoking, handling raw animal food, taking out garbage, or performing another task that contaminates hands. Then wash again before returning to exposed ready-to-eat food.

Use the designated handwashing sink

A handwashing sink must be accessible and supplied for handwashing. Do not wash hands in a food-preparation sink or dump water into a hand sink. Keep the sink available rather than using it for equipment, utensils or storage. Local jurisdictions adopt food-code provisions on their own schedules, so managers should check the code and health-department requirements that apply to the establishment.

Gloves are an additional barrier

Wash before putting on gloves. Change gloves when they become contaminated, damaged, or when changing tasks as required by the food code and workplace procedure. Gloves can carry contamination just like hands, and wearing them does not remove the handwashing requirement.

Common misses

• Scrubbing palms but missing fingertips, thumbs and between fingers.
• Rinsing before enough friction and time have been used.
• Drying on an apron or reusable towel that can recontaminate hands.
• Putting on gloves after handling raw food without washing first.
• Using a sink that is designated for another purpose.

Exam takeaway

Remember wet, soap, scrub 20 seconds, rinse, dry. Wash at task transitions that could contaminate hands, use the handwashing sink, and treat gloves as a supplement rather than a substitute.

Apply the sequence without rushing The employee handwashing procedure is more than a timer. Use the designated handwashing sink with running water and a cleaning compound. Wet hands and exposed portions of arms, apply soap, rub all surfaces vigorously for the total time specified in the adopted code, paying attention to fingertips, between fingers, thumbs, wrists, and under fingernails, then rinse thoroughly and dry using the approved method. The FDA model calls for at least 20 seconds for the full procedure. Scrubbing friction matters; a quick pass of soap does not remove soil effectively.

Keep fingernails short and clean so residue does not collect underneath. Follow the Food Code and facility policy on nail brushes: where permitted, brushes need to be individually assigned or otherwise managed hygienically. Artificial nails and nail polish may be restricted for employees handling exposed food unless the required glove conditions are met. Jewelry can retain soil and interfere with washing; the current 2026 model restricts jewelry on hands and arms during food preparation, subject to narrow exceptions in the adopted code.

Choose handwashing moments by contamination risk Wash when entering a food-preparation area, before preparing food, before putting on single-use gloves, and whenever hands become contaminated. Common triggers include using the toilet, touching the face or hair, handling raw animal food, switching from raw to ready-to-eat tasks, handling garbage or dirty dishes, coughing or sneezing, eating or drinking, cleaning, handling animals, and touching a phone or money before returning to food. The list is not a substitute for judgment: if hands may be contaminated, wash.

Gloves do not make handwashing unnecessary. Wash before donning them; change gloves when switching tasks, when they tear or become contaminated, and when required by the code. Removing gloves can contaminate hands, so wash after a contamination event. Alcohol-based hand antiseptics may be used only as allowed and after handwashing; they do not replace soap and water at the designated sink.

Make the sink usable The hand sink must be accessible, supplied with potable running water at the required temperature, soap, and an approved means of drying. Keep it free of boxes, utensils, drinks, and mop buckets. Do not use a food-preparation sink or warewashing compartment to wash hands. If the sink is blocked or out of supplies, correct it immediately. Managers should make sure employees have enough time to wash properly during rushes; line speed never makes a contaminated hand safe.

Employees should avoid recontaminating clean hands by touching faucet handles, door knobs, or a dirty towel dispenser. Where appropriate, use a paper towel to close manual faucet handles and open a restroom door. Dry hands completely with the approved method; wet hands can transfer microorganisms more readily and gloves are harder to put on over wet hands.

Scenario: raw chicken to salad garnish A cook portions raw chicken, then reaches for lettuce. The cook stops, removes contaminated gloves if worn, washes hands at the hand sink, dries them, and puts on clean gloves or uses a clean utensil for ready-to-eat garnish. The knife, board, and work surface must also be cleaned and sanitized before they touch the lettuce. Handwashing alone does not fix contaminated equipment. The manager should observe the task, correct the sequence, and reorganize the line if employees must cross between raw and ready-to-eat foods.

Exam takeaway Remember the order, full procedure, 20-second model requirement, and contamination triggers. The hand sink is for hands only; gloves and sanitizer are not substitutes. Local adoption controls enforcement, so use the jurisdiction’s code and approved facility procedures.

When double handwashing may be necessary Certain high-risk contamination events require more than the routine wash under the Food Code, such as after handling vomitus or fecal matter, after toilet use, or when hands are contaminated by a bodily fluid. Follow the current code's double-handwash provisions, facility illness clean-up procedures, and regulator instructions. Use the designated sink for the handwashing sequence and separate protective equipment removal and cleaning steps; do not bring contaminated gloves or tools to the hand sink if doing so could spread contamination.

If an employee has a cut or wound on the hand, ensure it is properly protected under the adopted code before food work resumes. A glove over an uncovered wound is not automatically enough. Report the condition to the PIC and follow the code's barrier requirements.

Provide warm running water, soap, and an approved drying method at the sink. The Code sets a minimum hand-scrub procedure and a 20-second total wash; do not shorten it because a worker is wearing gloves. The sink must stay open for handwashing, even during dishwashing or cleanup.