- 1). Place a sturdy stool in front of the sink for children who are not yet tall enough to reach the faucet. Roll up the child's sleeves to keep from getting them wet. Turn on the faucet to create a warm water flow using both the hot and cold water.
- 2). Pump hand soap into the palms of the child's hands. Ask the child to rub the palms of her hands together vigorously to create friction. Add running water to create a lather. Ask the child to remove her hands from the running water and continue to rub them together to sustain the lather.
- 3). Teach the child to interlock his fingers while rubbing the lathered soap between them. Show him how to rub the lathered soap on the back of his right hand using the palm of his left hand and the back of his left hand using the palm of his right hand.
- 4). Sing the ABC song or count to 20 while lathering the soap; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends washing hands for at least 20 seconds to remove dirt and germs.
- 5). Rinse all soap from the front and back of both of the child's hands using the warm running water. Turn off the hot and cold water.
- 6). Keep paper towels within the child's reach. Dry the child's hands thoroughly with a paper towel. Throw used paper towels into a garbage can.
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