Mom-Tested Hand-Washing Tricks

We all know that washing hands is important, but we also know we're so over the 10 minutes of negotiation that can precede it. Use these mom-developed techniques to keep your kids clean -- and you sane.

Experts say you need to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds to really get the germs off, but studies find that most kids leave the water running for less than five seconds. The moms we surveyed had these great ideas to make them wash longer:

• Have them sing Happy Birthday -- twice -- while they wash


• Use a kitchen timer or an hourglass to make it fun and accurate


• Ask them to count to 10 slowly or 20 at a normal pace