Singing is a fun way to remember the WHO steps to handwashing!
Original Video (Canada, English) and accompanying BMJ article
1: Watch the original video created in Canada
Check out the official WHO guidelines for each handwashing step.
2: Scroll down the page and listen to the song in different languages
We currently have 31 languages.
You can read more about this international collaboration here.
3. Practice singing the song when you wash your hands
The song helps with remembering all the correct steps.
4: Share with your family and friends!
Encourage everyone to learn these handwashing steps to keep us all safe and healthy.
We would love to see YOU sing and wash your hands. Share your video using #thumbattack #handwashingsong, or email it to
handwashingsong@cleanhandssavelives.org.
If you would like to be part of this project and contribute a language that is not yet included, please email us at the above address.
عربى
Arabic
فرك يديك
ما بين الأصابع
اغسل ظهر الكف، اغسل ظهر الكف
الأطراف a
اغسل الجهتين
لا تنسى الإبهام لا تنسى الإبهام
Ceština
Czech
Dlaně mydlit
Mezi prsty
Mydli hřbet, mydli hřbet
Prsty vaří kašičku
Vydrhni je trošičku
Palce též, postav věž
Dansk
Danish
Vaske hænder
Mellem fingre
For og bag, gnub og skrub
Fingrene roteres
Hænderne masseres
Tommeltot, gnides godt
Nederlands
Dutch
Wrijf in je handen
Tussen je vingers
Bovenop, bovenop
Rondje met je topjes
Haken met je handen
Pak je duim, pak je duim
English
Scrub your palms
Between the fingers
Wash the back, wash the back
Twirl the tips around
Scrub them upside-down
Thumb attack, thumb attack
Eesti keel
Estonian
Peopesad puhtaks
Sõrmevahed puhtaks
Pealtpoolt ka, teine käsi ka
Hõõru sõrmeotsi
Ülesse ja alla
Mudi oma pöialt, mudi oma pöialt
فارسی
Fārsī / Persia
بمال دست ها تو به هم
لا به لا ی انگشت ها
پشتش را بشور، پشتش را بشور
خم کن نوک هاش را بشور
قلاب کن بسابشون
هم این شست ، هم اون شست
Français
French
Frotte les mains
Entre les doigts
Sur le dos, sur le dos
Tourbillonne les bouts
A l’envers, partout
Attaque les pouces!
Attaque les pouces!
Gàidhlig
Gaelic
Nigh do bhoisean
Eadar na meòir
Cùl gach làimhe, cùl gach làimhe
Cuimhnich bàrr nan corragan
Glan bho bhun gu bàrr iad
Dèan an òrdag chlì, dèan an òrdag cheart
Deutsch
German
Wasch die Handflächen,
Zwischen den Fingern,
Wasch den Handrücken,
wasch den Handrücken Fingerkuppen kreisen,
Schrubb’ sie rauf und runter,
Daumen auch, Daumen auch
ελληνικά
Greek
Τρίψε τις παλάμες μεταξύ τους
κι ανάμεσα στα δάχτυλα
(τρίψε) τη ράχη στα χεράκια
και στα δαχτυλάκια
δεξί, ζερβό αντίχειρα
κι όλα τα νυχάκια
हिन्दी
Hindi
Haatheli ko ragado
Unglion ke beech mein
Haath ke upar, sabun ko malo
Unglion ke nakh,
Upar, niche ragado
Angootha ko ragado, charon aur
Magyar
Hungarian
Tenyeredet
Ujjaidat
Kézfejed, súroljad!
Csipi-csipi körbe
Sika-sika föl-le
Nagyujjam, elkaplak!
Italiano
italian
Prima i palmi
E fra le dita
Poi il dorso, e l’altro dorso
Punte gira gira
Tutti in amicizia
Pollici, finito!
日本語
Japanese
てのひら ごしごし
ゆびの あいだ ごしごし
せなかもね せなかもね
ゆびさき くるくる
つめも きれいに
おやゆびも わすれずに
Kazakh
Kazakh
Alaqanyndy jý
Saýsaǵynyń arasynda
Ekі jaǵynan da, ekі jaǵynan da
Ushtaryndy aınaldyr
Sodan keıіn baılanystyr
Bas barmaqty da
Bas barmaqty da
한국어
Korean
손바닥을 닦자
손가락 사이도
손등을 씻자, 손등을 씻자
손끝도 비비고
아래위로 문지르고
엄지손 씻자, 엄지손 씻자
Lietuvių Kalba
Lithuanian
Trink savo delnus
Trink tarp pirštų
Ir rankos viršų, Ir rankos viršų
Pirštų galą plauki
Sukabinus plauki
Taip pat ir nykščius, taip pat ir nykščius
Bahasa Melayu
Malay
Gosok tangan
Gosok jari
Belakang tangan, belakang tangan
Gosok hujong hujong
Gosok celah celah
Jangan lupa ibu jari
普通话 / 汉语
Mandarin
手心搓搓
手背搓搓
手指缝, 搓一搓
指尖合拢搓搓
关节相扣搓搓
大拇哥, 别放过
Polski
Polish
Namydl wnętrze dłoni
Palce między palce
Potem wierzch, potem wierzch
Umyj wnętrze dłoni
Zrób z paluszków haki
Zakręć kciuk, zakręć kciuk
Português
Portuguese (Brazil)
Esfrega as palmas
E entre os dedos
Lava atrás, lava atrás
Gira as pontinhas
E de ponta-cabeça
Pega o dedão, pega o dedão
یباجنپ
Punjabi
Hathailah dhoy
Unglion key dirmyaan
Pichla hissah dhoy, pichla hissah dhoy
Ungliyah gummiyeh
Inneh ulta saaf kerein
Angutah attack, angutah attack
Русский язык
Russian
Моем руки
между пальцами
С двух сторон, с двух сторон
Трём концы пальцев
их затем сцепляем
Про большой, не забудь
Español
Spanish (Mexico)
Tállate las palmas
Entre los dedos
Lava por detrás, lava por detrás
Circula las puntas
Talla arriba abajo
Limpia tu pulgar, limpia tu pulgar
Svenska
Swedish
Skrubba händerna
O mellan fingrarna
Tvätta handryggen, andra handryggen
Tvätta fingertopparna
Gnugga gnugga händerna
Tummarna med, tummarna med
Tâi-gí
Taiwanese
Sé tshiú-té,
Sé tshiú-phāng
So tshiú-puânn, so tshiú-puânn
Tsńg-thâu-á-bué lut-lut–leh
Tsńg-thâu-á-ba̍k lut-lut–leh
Tuā-thâu-bó, lóng-tsóng sé
Cymraeg
Welsh
Sgwrio’r dwylo
Rhwng y bysedd
Golchi’r cefn, golchi’r cefn
Troelli blaen y bysedd
Troi nhw ar ben i lawr
Bawd mawr glân, bawd mawr glân
Èdè Yorùbá
Yoruba
Fo àtélé owó re
Fo èyin owó re
Fo ìka pèlú owó, Șú s’ókè s’ódò
Fo àtànpàkò re
Ro owó àti ìka pò
Yíó sì mó, Yíó sì mó
தமிழ்
Tamil
கையை கழுவலாம்
விரலிடுக்கையும் தேய்க்கலாம்
பின் கையையும் கழுவலாம்
பின் கையையும் கழுவலாம்
நுனியை கொஞ்சம் சுத்தலாம்
முன்னும் பின்னும் தேய்க்கலாம்
கட்டை விரலைக் கவ்வலாம்
கட்டை விரலைக் கவ்வலாம்
Română
Romanian
Spală mâinile
și-ntre degete
Si pe dos
și pe dos
Săpunește vârfurile
în toate direcțiile
Și de degetul mare
și degetul mare.
Türk
Turkish
Avcunun içini yıka
Parmaklarının arasını
Elinin sırtını da
Elinin sırtını da
İyice ovuştur
İyice ovuştur
Baş parmağını da
Baş parmağını da
This project is an international collaboration. Read more.
Handwashing songs translated by: Fuad Alnaji (Arabic); Dita Roučová and František Rouča (Czech); Peter Vuust & Bjørn Petersen (Danish); Rebecca Schaefer(Dutch); Maret Paas (Estonian); Mohammadreza Pazoki & Amjad Sannaee (Farsi); Pierre Villeneuve & Maude Paquette (French); Eilidh MacLeod (Gaelic); Stefan Koelsch (German); Foteini Gyftopoulou (Greek); Bindu Prasaad (Hindi); Beáta Furka & László Norbert Nemes (Hungarian); Emanuella Ferretti and Maria Majno(Italian); Aya Hirano (Japanese); Sujin Hong (Korean); Martynas Mickevičius (Lithuanian); Nazrillah Merican (Malay); Peixin Nie (Mandarin); Wojtek Jajdelska & Katarzyna Bogdanowicz (Polish); Tatiana Sampaio (Portuguese); Nazreen Hussain (Punjabi); Tatiana Jarret (Russian); Adriana Soni García & Corina Soni(Spanish); Linda Kailaheimo-Lönnqvist (Swedish); Phil Lin, Alan Chen and Phín-tsì Kí (Taiwanese); Siwan Evans (Welsh) and Olupemi Oludare (Yoruba – Nigeria). Additional singing by: Kheirie Issa (Arabic); Edina Barabás (Hungarian); Julia Sampaio (Portuguese); Lekha Villeneuve (English and French); Shantala Hedgde (Hindi and Punjabi); S. Denney (Malay); Beata Liley (Polish); Milka Pajukallio (Swedish); Jayashree Thampi (Tamil); Oana Cosmovici (Romanian); Şükrü Torun (Turkish), Dariya Akan and Arslan Akanov (Kazakh).
Dr Nisha Thampi, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Canada
Dr Katie Overy, Reid School of Music, ECA, University of Edinburgh, UK
Dr Yves Longtin, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal, Canada
Alexandra Peters, WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Prof Didier Pittet, WHO Collaborating Centre on Patient Safety, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Hungarian
Mandarin
Danish
Italian
Turkish
Spanish