Global Handwashing Day is on Thursday 15 October 2026. The Global Handwashing Partnership describes it as a day to raise awareness of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to prevent disease and save lives. Its theme is “Be a Handwashing Hero!”
In care, clean hands protect the people you support, your colleagues and you. It is easy to rush when the shift is busy, so a refresher never hurts.
When to wash your hands
The NHS lists times such as after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, sneezing or coughing, when treating a cut or wound, after touching animals and after handling raw food. In care, that also means:
- before and after personal care
- before preparing food or helping someone eat
- after handling laundry, waste or anything soiled
- after taking off gloves, because gloves don’t replace hand hygiene
How to wash your hands properly
The NHS says to wash for about 20 seconds, or the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice. In short:
- Wet your hands and apply enough soap to cover them.
- Rub your palms together, then the backs of your hands and between your fingers.
- Clean your fingertips and thumbs, the areas most often missed.
- Rinse, dry thoroughly with a disposable towel and use the towel to turn off the tap.
If soap and water aren’t available straight away, the NHS says to use alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
Making it easy to get right
Follow your organisation’s infection control policy. Keep sinks stocked, put hand gel where it is needed and encourage people you support to wash their hands before meals and after the toilet. Small prompts, at the right moment, build good habits.
How training helps
Good infection control is everyone’s job, and training keeps it front of mind. Courses that help include:
- Infection Control (half day): preventing the spread of infection in everyday care
- Infection Control Champion (full day): leading good practice in your service
- Food Safety (half day): handling and preparing food safely
Free resources
Download, print and share these with your team.
Sources: Global Handwashing Partnership, Global Handwashing Day; NHS, How to wash your hands. Correct as of 21 September 2026.
