hand washing

Washing your hands is a super important step in cooking. Don't skip it to save time!


Even the smallest amounts of bacteria in your food can cause an upset stomach, so make sure you wash your hands properly.

1. soap and water

This is really important! Don't just use water and rinse your hands, that won't do anything! Actually it will, it will help speed germs and bacteria.

Washing hands with soap and water, step 1 in a sequence; blue water drops and circle with the number 1.

2. palm to palm

Time to work that soap into a foamy, bubbly cleaning power!

Just rub your hands together to get the bubbles.

Washing hands with soap, hands in a blue circle, step 2 of handwashing.

3. between the fingers

Bacteria loves nothing more than warm, damp areas. So rub that soap between your fingers and right into where your fingers meet your hands!

Hands being washed with soap, inside a blue circle; labeled

4. scrub your thumbs

Along with your fingers, your thumbs will be holding knives, or spoons, or any cooking equipment. Make sure your thumbs are clean.

Hands washing, one hand with suds, blue background, orange circle with the number 4.

5. Back of your hands

This is the most often missed part of your hand, but make sure they are clean too!

Hands being washed with soap, inside a blue circle; labeled

6. don't forget your wrists!

This is the most often missed part of your hand, but make sure they are clean too!

Step 6: Washing hands with soap, rubbing wrist and hand. Blue background.

and...you're clean!

Don't forget to rinse off all the soap, and dry your hands with a clean towel.


Also, you will need to clean your hands again if you touch raw meat, touch the bin, go to the toilet, touch your face or anything like that!


In some restaurants, the kitchen staff wash their hands every 30 minutes whether they have touched anything or not!