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Handwashing steps poster (free printable)

Five steps with a drawn icon for each, in order from the top: wet, soap, scrub, rinse, dry. Edit any line, print on letter or A4 and tape it above the sink.

Printed on the sheet. Leave it empty to write by hand.
Step | detail | icon
Colour
Wash Your Hands, page 1Wash Your Hands1WetHold your hands under cleanrunning water2SoapRub soap all over both hands3ScrubBacks, between fingers and undernails, for 20 seconds4RinseWash the soap off under runningwater5DryUse a clean towel, then turn offthe tap

To save a PDF, choose Print, then “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints.

About this sheet

Young children wash their hands well when the steps are in front of them and badly when they are not, and a poster at the sink does that job at the moment it matters. The steps follow the standard order: wet, soap, scrub, rinse, dry. Public health guidance recommends scrubbing for about twenty seconds, which is a long time for a five-year-old, so the scrub step has room for a line about counting or singing. Each step has a plain drawn icon, with no characters, so a child who cannot read yet can still follow along. Laminate the page, or put it in a plastic sleeve, because it will get splashed.

Grades: Pre-K to 4. Best in: August, September, October, November, January.

How to use it

  1. Check the five steps and edit any line. The icon is the word after the second bar: drop, bubbles, scrub, hands or towel.
  2. Print in color, laminate or slide into a plastic sleeve, and tape it at a child's eye level next to the sink.
  3. Teach the steps together at the sink, saying each one aloud, then watch students practice and praise the scrubbing.

Five ideas for class

  1. Turn the scrub step into a routine: sing a short song together, or count slowly to twenty, so the time feels the same for everyone.
  2. Teach it as a sequence game: print a black and white copy, cut the five boxes apart and ask students to put them in order.
  3. Post one copy at the sink and one at the door, and make it part of the routine before snack and after recess.
  4. Ask students to teach the steps to a family member at home, and invite them to tell you what they noticed.
  5. Use it as a model for other procedure posters: five steps, one icon each, and a line of detail.

Related

Questions

How long should children wash their hands?

Public health guidance recommends scrubbing with soap for about twenty seconds. A short song or a slow count of twenty helps children keep to it.

What if our sink has no soap?

Edit the poster to match what you have, such as using hand sanitizer for the soap steps. Check your school's health guidance for what to use and when.

Can I change the icons?

Yes. Put one of these icon words after the second bar: drop, bubbles, scrub, hands, towel, clock, check, star or smile. Leave it empty for no icon.

How do I save it as a PDF?

Choose Print, then pick “Save as PDF” as the printer. Only the sheet prints: the page around it is hidden. You can also save a sheet as a PNG image under the preview.

Can I print it in black and white?

Yes. Switch to Black and white beside the sheet: fills turn white and lines turn black, so it saves ink and photocopies cleanly.

Is what I type saved or sent anywhere?

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