- The handwashing process takes 20 seconds.
- Handwashing with warm water and soap removes up to 92% of pathogens.
- Single-use disposable gloves are not a replacement for handwashing.
- Hand sanitizers are not a replacement for proper handwashing when handling food.
Washing your hands for 20 seconds prevents illness
When preparing or serving food, you have a very important job in providing safe food for family and friends. Dirty kitchens, bad personal hygiene, or careless food handling can carry bacteria that contaminate food and cause foodborne illnesses.
- Turn on the water spigot.
- Wet hands with warm water.
- Apply enough soap to work into a lather.
- Scrub hands together for 10 to 15 seconds. Rub palm to palm, palm to back of hand, interlace fingers, grip thumbs, fingernails to palms, up wrists and lower arms.
- Rinse under running water.
- Dry hands with a single-use paper towel.
- Turn off the water spigot with a paper towel to prevent re-contamination.
- Discard paper towel into waste receptacle.
Hand sanitizers are not a replacement
Alcohol-based hand antiseptics, commonly referred to as hand sanitizers, are not a replacement for proper handwashing when handling food. This is because hand sanitizers do not loosen and remove any dirt or oils from our hands, like warm water and soap do when washing our hands. Hand sanitizers are meant to inactivate pathogens, but their effectiveness is reduced when hands are unclean. If used in place of handwashing, the risk of cross-contamination increases.
Hand sanitizers may be used as an additional step after handwashing; however it is not required. Select a hand sanitizer that is safe for food handling activities. Apply enough hand sanitizer to cover the hands, wrists, and exposed lower arms. Rub into the hands, wrists, and lower arms until all of the sanitizer is absorbed. Do not rinse or dry your hands after applying the sanitizer.
Single-use disposable gloves are not a replacement
Single-use disposable gloves are not a replacement for handwashing.
Proper handwashing must be used before putting on single-use disposable gloves and between changing gloves. Dipping or rinsing your hands in ware washing soap and sanitizer is also not proper handwashing.
Wash your hands before
- Preparing food
- Packaging food
- Beginning a new task
- Putting on disposable gloves
Wash your hands after
- Using the toilet
- Handling raw meat, poultry, fish, eggs and uncooked flour
- Touching pets and animals
- Eating or drinking
- Smoking, vaping or chewing tobacco
- Coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose
- Touching your hair, face or body
- Handling trash, recycling and organics
- Cleaning and sanitizing
- Using a phone or electronic device
- Shaking hands or hugging
- Handling money or credit cards
- Any time you leave the food production space and return to food handling
- Any time your hands become contaminated
The five Ws of handwashing
The five Ws of handwashing are the who, what, where, when, and why. These, along with the how, will minimize the risk of spreading pathogens to food and your customers.
Who
You and anyone working at your stand must perform frequent handwashing. This includes anyone who is touching, preparing or serving food, handling money or credit cards, or completing sanitation activities.
What
Proper handwashing includes washing your hands, wrists and any part of your lower arms that are exposed. Special attention should be paid to scrubbing under nails and between fingers as pathogens can easily hide here. Prosthetic devices should be washed following the same handwashing procedures.
Where
Keep your handwashing station clean and stocked during the entire event.
When
When handling food, it is important to wash your hands before beginning work and whenever your hands may become contaminated.
Why
Handwashing with warm water and soap removes up to 92% of pathogens from hands. Drying your hands with a single-use paper towel can remove additional pathogens.
Reviewed in 2026