According to policy, hands should be washed with soap and water for _____ seconds and sanitized with alcohol for ___ seconds.

• A. 15-20 seconds; 5-10 seconds
• B. 40-60 seconds; 20-30 seconds
• C. 60-90 seconds; 30-45 seconds
• D. 20-40 seconds; 10-20 seconds

Answer: (B)

Hand hygiene effectiveness depends on giving soap and water enough time to lift and flush microbes, followed by alcohol-based sanitizer with enough contact time for disinfection. The policy specifies washing for 40–60 seconds to physically remove dirt, oils, and microorganisms, then using sanitizer for 20–30 seconds until hands are dry. This combination ensures thorough cleaning when hands may be heavily contaminated, plus adequate disinfection with the alcohol. Shorter wash times don’t remove microbes as reliably, while overly long times for sanitizing aren’t needed and can be impractical. Therefore, the 40–60 seconds of soap-and-water washing paired with 20–30 seconds of alcohol sanitizing best fits the policy.