This article was first published in 2013. Travel health advice, vaccine recommendations and entry requirements change over time, so check our latest guides below or speak with a TMA travel doctor before you travel.
Key points
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- Wash before eating or preparing food, after the toilet and after blowing your nose.
- Soap and water is the better option when hands are visibly dirty.
- Alcohol-based hand sanitiser does not kill norovirus, a common cause of gastro on cruises and holidays.
Reviewed and updated November 2026.
Frequent careful handwashing is one of the simplest ways to lower the risk of many infectious diseases...
Scientists have recently reported that handwashing with soap could reduce the risk of lower respiratory tract infections such as pneumonia by 23%.
Who is Semmelweis?In the mid-nineteenth century, Hungarian Ignaz Semmelweis postulated that doctors' hands spread disease to the women in the childbirth wards. Septicemia after childbirth was common in mid-19th-century hospitals and was often fatal, with death rate of 10%-35%. Despite various publications of results where hand-washing reduced mortality to below 1%, Semmelweis's observations conflicted with the established scientific and medical opinions of the time and his ideas were rejected by the medical community. In 1865, Semmelweis was committed to an asylum, where he died at age 47 after being beaten by the guards, only 14 days after he was committed. More info. Travellers cannot afford to overlook such a simple and cost effective method of protecting their health. |
Frequently asked questions
How long should I wash my hands?
Healthdirect recommends rubbing your hands together for at least 20 seconds.
Is hand sanitiser enough when travelling?
It helps when hands are not visibly dirty, but it does not kill norovirus. Use soap and water where you can.
Sources
Related travel health guides
Planning a trip? A TMA travel doctor can tailor your vaccines and travel health advice to your itinerary.