How to Wash Your Hands Properly in Pakistan: NIH's 11 Steps in 20 to 40 Seconds

NIH's hand washing poster says to wash for 20 to 40 seconds with soap and water, following 11 steps from wetting your hands to turning off the tap with a towel. You rub the palms, the backs of the hands, between the fingers, the thumbs and the fingertips, then rinse and dry.

We read the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Urdu poster "How to wash your hands?" on 14 October 2026. It was produced by NIH's Field Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance Division and has no date. We translated its steps into English. NIH's other advisories, from pink eye to cholera and typhoid, all lean on this one habit.

NIH says to wash for 20 to 40 seconds

The poster's heading says to wash your hands with the listed method for 20 to 40 seconds to remove germs. That is longer than a quick rinse. Count slowly, or sing a short song, so you do not stop at five seconds.

NIH's pink eye advisory also says to wash hands with soap for 20 seconds. So 20 seconds is the floor, and the full method on the poster can run to 40.

The poster shows 11 numbered steps

The poster numbers its pictures from 0 to 11. Step 0 wets the hands. Steps 1 to 7 apply soap and scrub every part of both hands. Steps 8 to 10 rinse and dry. Step 11 shows clean hands.

Step 10 matters more than it looks. If you touch the tap with clean hands, you pick the germs back up. Use the towel to close it, as the poster shows.

Wash before you eat and after you handle food

NIH's drinking water and food brochure tells people to wash hands well with soap before and after eating. The aim is to keep germs from reaching your mouth through food.

The same brochure links unsafe water to diarrhoea, typhoid and hepatitis A and E. If a child has watery stools, see our steps for treating diarrhoea with ORS and zinc. For the cholera warning signs, read about three watery stools in 24 hours.

Hand washing also slows colds, flu and pink eye

NIH's cold and flu sheet lists hand washing with soap and water as the way to prevent a cold. Its antibiotic poster lists regular hand washing among its six rules. Its pink eye advisory says to wash hands and avoid touching the eyes.

That makes one habit useful in many illnesses. Read how to tell a cold from flu to see where it fits. We have not seen a figure on how much it cuts illness in the NIH material, so we give none.

1. Wet your hands under clean running water.
2. Apply soap and rub the palms.
3. Scrub the backs of the hands, between the fingers, the thumbs and the fingertips.
4. Keep going for 20 to 40 seconds in total.
5. Rinse, dry with a clean towel and close the tap with the towel.

Teach children the full method, not a quick rinse

A child tends to wet the fingers and stop. The poster's picture steps help, because a child can follow images. Stand beside them at the sink and go through the steps once, then let them lead.

The poster is in Urdu with a numbered picture for each step, which makes it easy to print and stick near a basin at home or in a school. The 11 steps take only a little longer than a rushed wash. The extra seconds are the point, since NIH sets the time at 20 to 40 seconds.

Soap matters as much as time. If a shared bar is the only soap at a school or office toilet, check that it is there before you need it.

When there is no soap or running water

The NIH poster only covers soap and water. We found no NIH advice on hand sanitiser on the pages we read, so we cannot say what it recommends. If soap and clean water are not available, ask a local health worker. We give no medical advice beyond the poster.

Common questions about hand washing in Pakistan

How long should I wash my hands?

NIH's poster says 20 to 40 seconds with soap and water. Its pink eye advisory says at least 20 seconds.

How many steps are there?

The poster shows 11 numbered steps, from 0 to 11. They end with clean hands.

Do I need soap?

Yes. NIH's poster shows soap in step 1, and its other advisories say soap and water.

Why close the tap with a towel?

The poster shows it as step 10. It stops you touching a dirty tap with clean hands.

When should I wash my hands?

NIH's food brochure says before and after eating. Its pink eye advisory also says to wash your hands and avoid touching your eyes.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 14 October 2026. The steps and timing come from NIH's hand washing poster, which we translated from Urdu. Food hygiene points come from NIH's undated drinking water brochure on the NIH health education page. We did not find advice on sanitiser or a protection figure, so we give none.