How long should you actually wash your hands, and does technique matter more than soap?

Technique and duration matter considerably more than which soap you buy. Twenty seconds is the working number, which is longer than it feels — most people stop at seven or eight. The spots that get missed almost universally are thumbs, fingertips, nail beds and the back of the hand. Plain soap is fine; antibacterial soap has not shown meaningful advantage for everyday use. Alcohol-based sanitiser at 60 percent or above is a reasonable substitute when hands are not visibly dirty, but it does not replace washing after using the toilet or before cooking.