Making up your mind about the right way to do hand-washing

“Indecision is like a stepchild: If he does not wash his hands, he is called dirty; if he does, he is wasting water.” That African proverb pretty well sums up many Americans’ wild swing between hand sanitizer hoarding and cavalier disregard for effective handwashing. We figure that’s because it’s hard to know exactly how to effectively KO the most dastardly germs. So here’s the latest info from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

1. You want to clean (rinse off microbes) and disinfect (kill them). Soap generally works by clearing germs off your hands, although it does rupture and kill some microbes. New info indicates that includes the novel coronavirus.

2. Washing your hands — top, bottom, between the fingers, on the wrist and under the nails — with plain, sudsy soap removes around 99% of contaminants. That’s as effective as antibacterial soaps. Soap is usually more effective than 60% alcohol hand sanitizer. Most folks put sanitizer on dirty, greasy or damp hands and don’t let it dry before moving on.

3. The 20-second hand-washing rule is spot-on. If you can’t stand to sing a chorus of “Happy Birthday,” check out the 20-second chorus of Prince’s “Raspberry Beret” or Dolly Parton’s “Jolene.” Dr. Mike’s favorite? Twenty seconds of Anita Franklin singing “Respect.”

Bonus: Cleaning surfaces first, then disinfecting is a powerful one-two punch. Environmental Protection Agency-approved ingredients for use on emerging viral pathogens and human coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (that’s what causes CoVID-19) are listed at www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/list-n-disinfectants-useagainst-sars-cov-2. If you look at ingredient lists on disinfecting wipes, you’ll see these listed.

Mehmet Oz, M.D. is host of “The Dr. Oz Show,” and Mike Roizen, M.D. is Chief Wellness Officer and Chair of Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic. To live your healthiest, tune into “The Dr. Oz Show” or visit sharecare.com.