The benefits of hand washing are endless. It helps you avoid getting sick, prevents the spread of germs, makes you smell better in general, and more. Like with anything else, however, you have to do it well if you want to get the most out of it.

Since a new year is the perfect time to start adopting new habits, we’ve listed the five best ways to make the most of your hand washing efforts.

Know when you should wash your hands

Hand washing isn’t something you should only do after going to the bathroom. You should remember to get your mitts sudsy before and after both eating and preparing food, caring for someone who’s ill, or treating wounds.

You should also wash your hands after touching an animal, blowing your nose, changing a diaper, or touching a garbage bin. Long story short: if you’ve touched something remotely questionable, you should probably wash your hands.

Practice proper hand washing procedure

First, wet your hands with clean, cool running water. The,n lather your hands by rubbing them with soap. Don’t forget to get the back of your hands, between the fingers, and under your nails.

Scrub your hands for at least half a minute, rinse, and when you dry use either a clean towel or air.

Pay attention to the type of soap you’re using

We’ve all been there: we’re at the kitchen sink and, because the regular soap is out, we wash our hands with dishwashing liquid. Oh, what? We haven’t all been there? Well… we’ve been there, and we’ve learned that using “alternative” soaps for hand soap is bad news.

Our recommendation is to use a plain, unscented liquid soap. Liquid soap is easy to use and typically includes moisturizing agents. It’s also not nearly as likely to foster icky mold growth as bar soap is.

Use soft water

Hard water can contain contaminants that lead to dry skin, discomfort, and exacerbation or infection of existing wounds.

Long story short: installing a whole-home water filter in your home to soften your water won’t just benefit your hands, but your hair, skin, pipes, and general health as well.

Remind yourself of the benefits of regular hand washing

We mentioned this before, but it bears repeating: when you wash your hands, you’ll be less likely to get sick, less likely to spread illness, and you’ll feel and smell better.

Now you never have to leave the bathroom, or eat dinner, without feeling accomplished that you’re a grade A, number one, certified hand washing expert. Everyone at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing® of Dallas is definitely proud of you.