8 Hygiene Habits (That Take Less Than a Minute) to Help You Avoid Getting Sick
Updated on September 23, 2026
What if we told you it only takes a minute to avoid getting sick? There are a number of easy 60-second (or less) hygiene habits that can go a long way toward helping you dodge colds, flus, and other illnesses.
Some you probably already do regularly. But there might be a few you need a gentle nudge to remember.
1. Wash Your Hands
If you only do one thing to avoid getting sick, wash your hands. “Hand-washing is going to be the most protective habit, more than anything else,” says Amar Davé, MD, an internal medicine and lifestyle medicine physician at MedStar Health in Washington, DC.
When someone who’s ill sneezes, coughs, talks, or breathes, they expel tiny particles containing the virus into the air. These viruses can survive on our hands and the surfaces we touch for several hours or even days, depending on the bug. Our hands can also pick up disease-causing germs from raw meat, pets, and fecal matter that can cause unpleasant symptoms like diarrhea.
To get rid of any lingering germs, epidemiologist Katrine Wallace, PhD, an adjunct assistant professor in the division of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois in Chicago, suggests washing your hands often, including:
- Before you eat or cook
- After using the bathroom
- After handling meat
- After throwing out the garbage or pet waste
- After riding public transportation or shopping at a store
- After blowing your nose, or coughing or sneezing into your hands
To wash your hands effectively, use warm water and soap, and clean for at least 20 seconds. Scrub your palms, the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your fingernails. “And make sure that you’re actually getting a lather to get the germs off,” Dr. Wallace says. Those bubbles create the pockets that trap and wash the germs away, she explains.
Not near a sink? Use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol.
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2. Wipe Down Shared Surfaces
Kitchen countertops, doorknobs, light switches, stair railings, buttons for your home’s alarm system, the TV remote — any surfaces that often get touched by multiple people in the family should get a weekly wipe down so you don’t share germs, Wallace says. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends doing this anytime you’ve had visitors.
Household cleaners with soap or detergent will remove most viruses and bacteria. But if someone in your household is actively sick or has a weakened immune system, you can use a disinfectant registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or a stronger bleach, which goes beyond removing the germs and actually kills them.
Once a week (or whenever they’re visibly dirty), throw soft items like shared hand towels or blankets in the washing machine on the hottest setting the material can handle, using the detergent recommended in the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Sanitize Your Kitchen Sponge
A squishy, wet sponge is exactly the kind of environment where mold likes to grow, Wallace says. It’s also a hot spot for harmful bacteria that can cause intestinal and skin infections, like salmonella and E. coli. You can’t always tell how contaminated a sponge is by looking at or smelling it, so you’ll want to sanitize yours every few days.
Sticking your sponge in the microwave or putting it in the dishwasher can reduce the overall amount and diversity of bacteria. Soaking your sponge in 2 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of chlorine bleach, or in boiling water for five minutes, is also effective. Both Wallace and Dr. Davé also recommend replacing your sponge at least once a month.
4. Kick Off Your Shoes at the Door
Shoes pick up all kinds of things when you’re walking around on sidewalks and in public restrooms. In fact, Cleveland Clinic reports that most shoes have millions of bacteria on them, including germs like E. coli, Clostridioides difficile (known as C. diff), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (the potentially life-threatening superbug known as MRSA). Taking off your shoes at the door means you’re not tracking those germs inside your home, Wallace says.
5. Wash Your Water Bottle
Even if you only ever fill up your water bottle with water, it can get surprisingly germy. As we drink, we leave behind bacteria and food particles from our mouths. And if you’re opening and closing a lid or grabbing a straw at the top, germs on your hands can transfer to the spout. Airborne particles can land on an open cap, too.
Experts recommend washing your bottles at least once a day, just like any cup you drink out of. Many water bottles are dishwasher-safe. Otherwise, hand-wash it with warm water and soap, then dry on a dish rack.
6. Get the Air Moving
When someone’s sick with a virus like the flu or COVID-19, airborne virus particles can stick around indoors and accumulate if there’s not enough ventilation. Whenever the weather allows, open your windows to get the air inside circulating and lower the concentration of virus particles. If that’s not possible, Wallace suggests using a fan or air purifier. “In the wintertime, sometimes our family will put the air purifier on in the living room while we’re all in there,” she says. (That said, Davé says that purifiers are most helpful for allergens, though they can remove some airborne particles that can carry viruses.)
7. Disinfect Your Phone
According to a review of research, 54 studies found that our phones pick up germs like staph and E. coli. “They are reservoirs of bacteria,” Davé says.
Health experts recommend wiping your phone down once a day to reduce contamination. Davé says this is most important if you’ve been somewhere you’re likely to encounter pathogens like MRSA or C. diff., like a hospital.
Always check the manufacturer’s instructions, but Apple, Google Pixel, and Samsung all recommend using household disinfecting wipes with at least 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, which experts say can effectively disinfect the surface.
8. Don’t Skip Vaccines
While, yes, it might take more than a minute to set up and get to an appointment for your seasonal vaccines, the shot itself takes just a few seconds. More importantly, it could mean the difference between a quick bug and a trip to the hospital: The flu vaccine, for instance, reduces your risk of having to go to the doctor for treatment by 40 to 60 percent.
The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases recommends the following vaccination guidelines:
- Flu Everyone 6 months and older should receive the influenza vaccination every year before the end of October. (“Flu before boo,” Wallace says.)
- COVID-19 The COVID-19 vaccine may be given to anyone 6 months and older.
- RSV Everyone 75 and older, plus adults as young as 50 with chronic heart and lung disease or other medical conditions placing them at increased risk for severe RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), should get an RSV vaccination. Pregnant women may be vaccinated in the third trimester in order to pass on antibodies to their babies.
EDITORIAL SOURCES
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