Free · No account · Private by design
Handwashing Coach: Learn the 6 WHO Handwashing Steps
Wash for a full 20 seconds and learn all six steps from the World Health Organization. The camera checks your hand shape and your rubbing, step by step, and cheers when you get it right. Built for kids, with a welcome screen for grown-ups first.
Handwashing Coach is a free web app that teaches kids the six WHO handwashing steps with a friendly camera coach: palm to palm, palm over the back of the hand, fingers laced, finger hooks, thumb twist, and fingertip circles. A 20-second scrub timer banks time only while both the hand shape and the rubbing motion pass, and every mistake gets one friendly named hint like "Bring your hands together" or "Make circles, not just a straight line". Test mode, points, levels, day streaks, and badges, with confetti and chimes you can switch off. The app is translated in-app into English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. Everything runs on your device: no video is recorded, uploaded, or sent anywhere. It is a home practice tool, not a teacher, and it reduces the chance of missed steps without ever guaranteeing clean hands.
Open Handwashing Coach
The six WHO steps
The app teaches the World Health Organization's six hand-rubbing steps, in order, each with a "show me how" demo:
- Palm to palm: rub your palms together, fingers straight and together.
- Palm over back: lay one palm on the back of the other hand, fingers slotted between fingers, and rub. Then swap hands.
- Fingers laced: palm to palm again, but spread your fingers and slide them between each other. Rub up and down.
- Finger hooks: curl your fingers and hook them into each other, backs of fingers in the other palm. Rub side to side.
- Thumb twist: wrap one hand around the other thumb and twist. Then do the other thumb.
- Fingertip circles: pinch your fingertips together and rub them in little circles in the other palm. Then swap.
Wet your hands and add soap first, then show both hands to the camera. When the sixth step is done, the app cheers: now rinse with water and dry your hands.
The 20-second timer
Each step banks about 3.3 seconds of good scrubbing, so all six steps add up to the full 20-second wash. Time only banks while both checks pass: the hand shape (are your hands in the right position?) and the motion (are you actually rubbing, twisting, or circling?). Just holding the pose does not count, and neither does rubbing with the wrong shape. Steps that need both sides, like palm over back and the thumb twist, prompt you to swap halfway with "Now the other side".
Friendly named hints
Every mistake gets one friendly, specific hint within about a second: "Bring your hands together", "Straighten your fingers", "Lay one palm on the BACK of the other hand", "Make a fist around the other hand's thumb", "Make circles, not just a straight line". Wrong versions are rejected kindly and clearly, and the built-in test suite proves every step rule with synthetic hands, including the wrong versions that must fail. One honest note, shown to grown-ups up front: wet, soapy, overlapping hands are hard for any camera, so the feedback can be wrong and the steps are worth learning by heart too.
Test mode, levels and badges
Test mode runs all six steps as a scored quiz, with a star score at the end. Points build levels (a new level every 150 points), day streaks count consecutive washing days, and badges mark the milestones: first wash, 5 washes, 10 washes, a 3-day streak, a 7-day streak, a no-hint test, and all six steps in one wash. A short chime sounds when a step is done and confetti falls at the finish, and both can be switched off in settings. Practice stays the core: the game elements are seasoning.
Built for kids, honest with grown-ups
The app opens with a welcome screen for grown-ups: it is private (the camera picture is checked on this device only), it is practice not a teacher, the feedback can be wrong, and the real method is the WHO guidance on the Resources page. The language stays simple and encouraging throughout, with big buttons, a clear progress dashboard, and a "show me how" demo for every step. The whole app is translated in-app into English, French, Spanish, and Japanese.
Your video never leaves your device
Camera frames are analysed on your device and immediately discarded. Nothing is recorded, uploaded, or shared. The page security policy blocks connections to every outside server, and the built-in Offline proof panel shows a live log of every network request the page makes, lets you simulate a fully offline session, shows exactly what is stored on your device, and deletes it all with one button. The app works offline after your first visit. The camera runs only while you are on a washing screen.
Start washing
Training something else? Fingerspell teaches the ASL alphabet, Tone Trainer coaches Mandarin tones, and Face Switch teaches hands-free face control, all the same private, on-device way.
This is a home practice tool, not a teacher, therapist or safety device. Everything runs on your device: no video, audio or images are sent anywhere. Feedback is automatic and can be wrong. For real instruction, follow the WHO handwashing guidance, linked on the Resources page. It reduces the chance of missed steps without ever guaranteeing clean hands.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Handwashing Coach?
A free web app that teaches kids the six WHO handwashing steps with a friendly camera coach. A 20-second scrub timer banks time only while both the hand shape and the rubbing motion pass, and every mistake gets one friendly named hint. Test mode, points, levels, day streaks, and badges. Everything runs on your device. It is a home practice tool, not a teacher.
What are the six WHO steps?
The World Health Organization's six hand-rubbing steps: palm to palm, palm over the back of the hand, fingers laced, finger hooks, thumb twist, and fingertip circles. The app teaches them in order, each with a "show me how" demo.
How does the 20-second timer work?
Each step banks about 3.3 seconds of good scrubbing, so all six add up to the full 20-second wash. Time only banks while both the hand shape and the motion pass: just holding the pose does not count, and neither does rubbing with the wrong shape.
How does it know I am doing it right?
A bundled hand tracker watches both hands and checks two things per step: the hand shape (are your hands in the right position?) and the motion (are you rubbing, twisting, or circling?). Both must pass for the timer to bank time. One honest note: wet, soapy, overlapping hands are hard for any camera, so the feedback can be wrong.
What if the camera cannot see my hands?
Show both hands clearly to the camera with space between them. If the app cannot see both hands it says so. Wet, soapy hands that overlap can confuse any camera: slow down, separate your hands, and try the shape again.
Is it only for kids?
It is built for kids, with simple language, big buttons, demos, confetti, and a grown-ups welcome screen first. Adults learning or re-learning the WHO technique can use it too.
Does it work offline?
Yes, after your first visit. The app and the hand tracker are saved on your device, so everything works with no network. The Offline proof panel even lets you simulate a fully offline session.
Is my video recorded or uploaded?
No. Camera frames are analysed on your device and immediately discarded. Nothing is recorded, uploaded, or shared. The page security policy blocks connections to every outside server.
Can I delete my data?
Yes. Open Offline proof on the home page and press Delete all my data, or clear progress from settings. Everything is stored only in your browser, on your device.
What is test mode?
Test mode runs all six steps as a scored quiz and gives you a star score at the end. Wrong answers always show the friendly named hint, never just a score. A no-hint test earns its own badge.
Does it guarantee my hands are clean?
No. It reduces the chance of missed steps without ever guaranteeing clean hands. It is a practice aid for learning the technique; the feedback is automatic and can be wrong. Always follow the full WHO guidance, including rinsing and drying.
Which languages does the app support?
Four, switchable inside the app: English, French, Spanish, and Japanese. Every step, hint, and screen is translated.