Hand Hygiene in Hospital: What Patients and Caregivers Can Do

When you are admitted, ask a nurse where the sinks and hand sanitizer are and whether any isolation precautions apply. Clean your hands before eating, after using the toilet, and before and after touching wound dressings as trained. If you have not seen a healthcare worker clean their hands, you can politely ask before they touch you or perform a procedure.[1]

Key Points

• Repeat hand hygiene as needed for each contact or task. Cleaning your hands once when entering the ward is not enough for the whole day.
• Use soap and running water when your hands are visibly dirty. For special isolation precautions, follow the ward’s instructions on which method to use.[2]
• Gloves do not replace hand cleaning. Do not touch wounds, tubing connections, or equipment yourself unless you have been trained or given permission.
• Tell a nurse if hand sanitizer runs out, a dressing comes loose, or something is wrong with tubing.

When to Clean Your Hands

Patients and caregivers can keep these moments in mind:[1]

• Before preparing food or eating, and before touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
• Before and after changing dressings when you have been trained and given permission; follow the nurse’s instructions before and after touching wounds or care supplies.
• After using the toilet or helping someone use it, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
• After touching frequently handled surfaces in the ward, such as bed rails, door handles, remote controls, or phones.
• When entering or leaving an isolation room, or after contact with body fluids, follow the ward’s requirements.

Healthcare workers may already have cleaned their hands outside the door or elsewhere, and may need to clean them again between different tasks. Caregivers should not disconnect catheters, connections, or equipment themselves. Ask a nurse to deal with anything unusual.

Soap and Water or Hand Sanitizer

Use soap and running water when your hands are visibly dirty or have blood or body fluids on them. Rub thoroughly with soap for at least 20 seconds, covering your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, your thumbs, fingertips, and around your nails. Then rinse and dry.[5] When there is no visible dirt, you may use alcohol-based hand sanitizer as directed by the hospital, covering all surfaces of both hands and rubbing until completely dry.[1][2]

If a patient has a Clostridioides difficile infection, the patient and family should wash their hands with soap and water according to the ward’s isolation instructions. Gloves, gowns, and environmental cleaning each also have a role.[3] Healthcare workers follow the hospital’s infection control rules for specific procedures. Patients and families do not need to decide for themselves which set of rules for healthcare workers applies.

How to Give Reminders and Ask for Help

If you are unsure whether a healthcare worker has cleaned their hands, you can say before a procedure: “I may have missed it, but could you please clean your hands before touching the wound?” You can also ask an interpreter to help. If hand sanitizer has run out, or you are unsure what to do before entering an isolation room, contact the nurse responsible for your care. If the issue remains unresolved, you can raise it with the head nurse.[1]

When wearing gloves, do not continue touching your phone or clean supplies with contaminated gloves. After providing care, remove your gloves as trained and clean your hands. Before moving from a contaminated care task to a clean one, follow the nurse’s training: remove contaminated gloves, clean your hands, and put on new gloves if needed. Cleaning your hands does not replace sterile technique, equipment care, or isolation precautions.

Frequently Asked Questions

If I do not see a healthcare worker wash their hands, does that mean they have not done it?

Not necessarily. They may already have done so outside the door. You can politely ask before an examination.[1]

Do I still need to clean my hands if I wear gloves?

Yes. Gloves do not replace hand hygiene. Clean your hands after removing gloves, and change gloves between tasks as required by the ward.[1]

Can no-rinse hand sanitizer be used on dirty hands?

Use soap and running water when your hands are visibly dirty. Follow the ward’s instructions if the hospital has special requirements.[2]

If a patient or caregiver has diarrhea, can they still visit?

Contact the ward first, explain the symptoms, and ask whether visiting is allowed and what protective measures are needed. Do not enter an isolation area on your own.

Do I need to clean catheter connections myself?

Do not handle them yourself. Ask a nurse to explain what family members can do, and promptly report loose connections or dressings that are wet or have come off.

What should I do if hand sanitizer runs out?

Tell the nurse responsible for your care and ask for it to be refilled. If you need to clean your hands, ask where the nearest handwashing facilities are.

What if repeated hand cleaning makes my skin dry and cracked?

Tell a nurse and ask about skin care that is compatible with your gloves, skin, and treatment. Do not skip necessary hand hygiene because of skin discomfort.[2]

Sources

1. CDC: Hand Hygiene for Patients and Visitors in Healthcare Settings, checked on 2026-11-06.

2. CDC: Clinical Safety—Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers, checked on 2026-11-06; requirements for healthcare workers are governed by the hospital’s rules.

3. CDC: Hand Hygiene Information for Patients and Visitors, checked on 2026-11-06.

4. National Health Commission: Specification of Hand Hygiene for Healthcare Workers, WS/T 313—2019, checked on 2026-11-06; this is a standard for healthcare workers. Patients and families should follow the ward’s instructions.

5. CDC: Frequently Asked Questions About Handwashing, checked on 2026-11-06.