Washing your hands with soap should be a 5 step process. First, wet hands with running water and apply hand soap. There are many types, but most common are moisturizing hand soap or foaming hand soaps. Second, lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap, be sure to lather the back of your hands, under your nails, and between each finger. Third, scrub hands for at least 20 seconds to begin the bacteria removal process. Fourth, rinse off soap under cleaning running water. The water can be warm or cold, but hot water may be damaging to the skin. Lastly, be sure to dry hands using a clean towel.