Gordon Ramsay Shares His Detailed Guide to Washing Your Hands (Don’t Forget Your Wrists!)

Isadora Baum
Isadora Baum
Isadora Baum is a freelance writer, content marketer, and author of 5-Minute Energy. She can't resist a good sample, a margarita, a new HIIT class, or an easy laugh. She writes for various magazines, such as Men's Health, Women's Health, Well+Good, LIVESTRONG, POPSUGAR, SELF,…read more
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updated Mar 24, 2020
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Credit: Sterling Munksgard

Washing your hands keeps you healthy and clean, but right now in light of the pandemic, it’s even more important to lather up with soap and water to avoid the spread of the virus. And while the CDC has shared their own five-step process for handwashing, celebrities are also sharing their own techniques. Did you see the video that Alton Brown shared in a lab coat? It’s pretty great.

Another favorite handwashing technique we found last week comes from Gordon Ramsay. The MasterChef star recently posted a tutorial on his Instagram account showing a “simple” approach on how to properly wash your hands with soap and water. Unlike other videos we’ve seen, he seems especially concerned with getting under your nails and making sure to wash your wrists.

Ramsay also emphasizes the need to interlock your fingers when soaping up your hands. Here’s his complete process:

  • Quickly wet the hands. Then use a nice dose of soap. 
  • Rub soap into your hands (both sides).
  • Then interlock your hands, and rub up and down, horizontally and vertically.
  • Then get to the thumbs: twist them around, and wash the back of the hands. 
  • Then get to the fingers and into the nails. Keep the nails short, so you can get into them (this stops bacterial growth — long nails can contract more!).
  • Get a good amount of foam to scrub and lather up, take to the wrists and scrub those too (do not forget!).
  • Give your hands a final rinse, shake them well, and then grab that paper towel, as you’re done!

Pretty easy! He didn’t include a specific song we should all sing to, but we’ll leave that up to you to figure out. Regardless, next time you need to wash your hands (which we hope is frequently), take his lead.