Washing your hands is about more than just rubbing a little soap between your palms. The backs of your hands, your thumbs, and your fingertips also need to be included. Here are some guidelines for taking the time to wash thoroughly with soap suited to your needs.
Prepare the sink before you start
Make sure you have clean running water, soap, and something to dry your hands with. This preparation may seem simple, but it allows you to wet, lather, rinse, and dry your hands without having to look for a towel at the last minute.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that cold or lukewarm water is suitable for washing your hands. There is no need to use very hot water. Wet your hands before using soap, then rub them together to create a lather.
Take thirty seconds and cover all areas
For the general public in France, Santé publique France recommends washing with water and soap for thirty seconds. The organization specifies that you should work the palms, the backs of your hands, the spaces between your fingers, your fingertips, your nails, and your wrists.
The INRS poster on handwashing also highlights the thumbs and wrists. To help you remember these areas, you can follow this sequence:
- The palms: start with the surfaces that naturally touch when you rub your hands together.
- The backs of your hands: rub each hand over the back of the other.
- Between your fingers: interlace your fingers to reach the spaces on the sides.
- Your thumbs: take the time to wrap your opposite hand around each one, one at a time.
- Your fingertips and nails: also work these ends, then your wrists.
This sequence is a memory aid to help you distribute the washing, not a reason to rub harder. To learn how to estimate thirty seconds, you can look at a timer once and then repeat the same sequence. The goal is to maintain a reference that is easy to remember every day.
Finish by rinsing and drying
Rinse thoroughly under running water. Then dry your hands with a clean towel or let them air-dry, as recommended by Santé publique France. Planning to dry your hands from the start helps prevent you from forgetting when you are in a hurry.
The CDC reminds us that germs spread more easily when hands are wet. If you use a reusable towel at home, it must be kept clean; replace it when it is visibly dirty and before it develops mold from staying damp.
Solid or liquid: distinguish the format from the promises
Santé publique France indicates a preference for liquid soap in its advice on preventing winter viruses. The CDC, for its part, states that ordinary solid or liquid soaps can be used for washing hands. Choosing a fragrance or presentation does not replace proper washing techniques.
In the shop, the cherry-scented olive soap — 125 g is a single bar of scented soap. Its product page instructs you to lather it between wet hands, apply it, and then rinse thoroughly, avoiding your eyes. It is presented here to illustrate the solid format, without attributing any disinfecting action or special protection against infections to it.
After use, its product page advises letting it dry on a soap dish. To organize this space, see our article on drying and storing solid soap.
Link this action to times of the day
Santé publique France notably mentions washing before preparing meals or eating, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, and upon returning from public transport. You can associate the sink with these transitions to help you remember: come home, put down your belongings, and then wash your hands.
To choose your next soap, browse the olive oil soap collection and read the instructions for each product. Above all, follow the complete sequence: lather all areas, rinse, and dry.
Sources and photo credit
- Santé publique France: Winter viruses — Health challenges, section on prevention measures.
- INRS: Handwashing with soap, poster AA 843 (PDF).
- CDC: Hand Hygiene Frequently Asked Questions (in English), water, soap formats, and drying.
- SMZ Dr Sophie: current product page for cherry-scented olive soap — 125 g, presentation and directions for use.
Sources consulted on November 3, 2026. Cover photo: image of the cherry-scented soap from the SMZ Dr Sophie shop.