You’re standing at the sink. The notification just popped up on your phone or maybe you heard it on the local news: a water main broke, or there’s a spike in turbidity, and now your neighborhood is under a boil water advisory. Your first instinct, especially after the last few years of hyper-vigilance, is to wash your hands. But then you pause. If the water isn't safe to drink, is it safe to touch? Can I wash my hands during a boil water advisory without getting sick?
The short answer is yes. Usually. But honestly, the "how" matters way more than the "yes."
Most people assume that if you can't swallow the water, it shouldn't touch your skin. That’s not quite how microbiology works in this context. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in most cases, you can absolutely use tap water and soap to wash your hands during these alerts. The friction of rubbing your hands together combined with soap is remarkably effective at physically removing the types of bacteria or protozoa—like E. coli or Giardia—that typically trigger these warnings.
But there is a massive "unless" attached to this. If your local health officials explicitly state that the water is contaminated with something like a chemical spill or toxic runoff, the rules change instantly. In those rare, scary scenarios, you don't want that water anywhere near your pores.
Understanding the risk of handwashing with "bad" water
It feels counterintuitive. We’ve been told for decades that handwashing is our primary defense against disease. It is. But when the source of your cleaning agent is potentially compromised, the logic feels broken.
The primary concern during a standard boil water notice is ingestion. You get sick because you drank the water, used it to brush your teeth, or ate salad that was rinsed in it. Your skin, however, is a pretty fantastic barrier. Unless you have deep, open wounds or a severely compromised immune system, the risk of pathogens entering your bloodstream through your hands during a quick scrub is statistically very low.
Soap vs. Germs
Soap doesn't necessarily "kill" everything in the water immediately. Instead, it acts as a surfactant. It breaks down the oils on your skin that germs cling to, allowing the water to flush them down the drain. This is why the CDC and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) generally give the green light for handwashing.
However, if you are an oyster shucker with tiny cuts all over your fingers, or if you just had surgery, you need to be significantly more cautious. In those cases, use bottled water or water that has already been boiled and cooled. Don't risk it.
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The right way to do it (And when to use sanitizer)
If you decide to go ahead and use the tap, you can’t just do a five-second rinse. You need to be methodical. Use plenty of soap. Scrub for at least 20 seconds.
Here is the kicker that most people miss: the follow-up. After you’ve washed your hands with tap water under an advisory, many experts suggest using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer immediately afterward. This acts as a "safety net" to catch anything the tap water might have left behind. Make sure the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol. This combo—tap water wash followed by sanitizer—is often considered the gold standard for hygiene when the pipes are under suspicion.
If your hands aren't visibly dirty or greasy, you might be tempted to skip the tap water entirely and just use sanitizer. That's actually a great move. Sanitizer is incredibly effective at neutralizing the biological contaminants usually found in municipal water spikes. But if you’ve been gardening or just finished changing a tire, sanitizer alone won't cut it because the dirt and grime protect the germs from the alcohol. You have to get the dirt off first.
What about bathing and showering?
You can generally shower or bathe, but it's a bit like a game of "don't swallow the pool water."
Adults are usually fine. We know how to keep our mouths shut. But kids? Kids are a different story. If you’re bathing a toddler, they’re almost certainly going to splash, lick their lips, or "accidentally" take a gulp of the bathwater. For babies and young children, stick to sponge baths using boiled or bottled water. It's an extra step that feels like a massive pain, but it beats a week of dealing with a kid who has a waterborne stomach bug.
Vulnerable populations
If you are living with someone who is undergoing chemotherapy, living with HIV/AIDS, or has recently had an organ transplant, the "handwashing is fine" rule basically goes out the window. Their immune systems might not be able to handle even a trace amount of Cryptosporidium, which is notoriously resistant to chlorine and sometimes slips through standard filtration if a system fails. For these individuals, every drop of water that touches their body should ideally be treated.
Common misconceptions about boiling
Let's clear something up: a "boil water advisory" doesn't mean the water is currently a toxic sludge. Often, it’s a precautionary measure because pressure dropped in the pipes, which could allow contaminants to seep in.
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One thing people get wrong is how long to boil. You don't need to boil it for twenty minutes.
- One minute of a rolling boil is the standard.
- If you’re in the mountains (above 6,500 feet), make it three minutes because water boils at a lower temperature up there.
Once it has boiled, let it cool naturally. Do not try to speed up the process by adding ice cubes made from tap water. I've seen people do this, and it completely defeats the purpose. You're just re-introducing the very thing you were trying to kill.
Real-world scenarios: When things go south
Look at what happened in Jackson, Mississippi, or the frequent advisories in parts of Louisiana and Texas. In these instances, the infrastructure fails, and the "can I wash my hands" question becomes a daily reality for weeks.
In long-term scenarios, people often stop trusting the tap entirely. They switch to "dry" hygiene methods. This involves using heavy-duty body wipes or simply relying on large jugs of distilled water for everything. While the official advice remains that handwashing is okay, the psychological toll of "bad water" often leads people to avoid the tap at all costs.
Honestly, I don't blame them. If you see brown water coming out of the faucet, no amount of "the CDC says it's okay" is going to make you want to stick your hands in it. If the water is discolored, don't use it for hygiene. Even if it's biologically "safe" after boiling, the sediment can irritate your skin or clog your pores.
Kitchen safety and handwashing
This is where things get tricky. If you are preparing food, you cannot wash your hands with contaminated tap water and then immediately start handling raw produce or making a sandwich.
Think about it. If there is a tiny bit of E. coli on your wet hands, and you touch a piece of bread, you've just transferred it to a perfect growing medium. For food prep, you should only use bottled water or water that has been boiled and cooled to wash your hands.
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The same goes for washing dishes. If you have a dishwasher that reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F (65°C) or has a "sanitize" cycle, you're generally okay. But if you're washing by hand, you need to wash with the suspect water and then soak the dishes in a bleach solution (about one tablespoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water) for at least one minute before letting them air dry.
The "Checklist" for staying safe
It’s easy to get overwhelmed when the basic utility of life—water—is suddenly a threat. To keep it simple, follow this hierarchy of safety for your hands:
- Best: Use bottled or previously boiled (and cooled) water with soap.
- Great: Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (if hands aren't visibly dirty).
- Acceptable: Wash with tap water and soap for 20 seconds, then follow with sanitizer.
- Avoid: Using tap water if you have open cuts, are immunocompromised, or are about to handle "ready-to-eat" food.
Taking action during an advisory
When you're under an advisory, your routine has to change. It's a hassle, but it's temporary.
Start by filling a few clean containers with boiled water so you aren't waiting for a pot to cool every time you need to rinse something. Set up a "sanitizing station" near your sink with a bottle of hand sanitizer clearly labeled so guests or kids don't forget the extra step.
Check your local municipality’s website for the specific reason behind the advisory. A "broken pipe" is very different from a "cyanobacteria bloom." The more you know about what is actually in the water (or what might be in it), the better you can judge the risk for your specific household.
Finally, keep an eye on your skin. If you notice any unusual rashes or irritation after washing, stop using the tap water immediately. Sometimes the extra chlorine used by the city to "shock" the system during a repair can be a skin irritant, even if the bacteria are gone.
Staying safe is mostly about common sense and a little bit of extra patience. Wash well, sanitize often, and when in doubt, keep the tap closed.
Next Steps for Your Safety
Check your pantry for unscented bleach and a clean dropper; if you run out of bottled water, you can disinfect clear water by adding 8 drops (about 1/8th of a teaspoon) of bleach per gallon and letting it sit for 30 minutes. Also, take a moment to identify your home’s water shut-off valve and your hot water heater tank—in a major emergency, the 30–50 gallons of water stored in that tank can be a life-saver if you shut the intake valve before the tank gets contaminated.