Are you immunocompromised, or visiting/caring for someone who is? Then you need to lather your hands for 20 full seconds when you wash them, which you have to do a LOT. You could time this by singing “Happy Birthday” twice, but after awhile that is just going to turn into birthday aversion therapy, and no one needs that.

So, here are some other songs you can sing, helpfully metered out into 20-second segments. Because just because you’re immunocompromised does not mean you can’t rock on!

Secular music
The Beatles: “Let it Be”
Leonard Cohen: “Anthem”
Creedence Clearwater Revival: “Proud Mary”
Janis Joplin: “Me and Bobby McGee”
Bruce Springsteen: “Rosalita”
Three Dog Night: “Joy to the World”

Sacred music (note: a given hymn is often sung in various tempos, so your results may vary).
“O Come O Come Emmanuel”
“Amazing Grace”
“Joy to the World”

Note: To avoid notifying blog followers every single time I update this page with a handwashing song, I’m dating most song entries a year earlier than they actually occurred. In May 2012 I was not thinking about strategies for the immunocompromised, as I was blithely unaware I had cancer again.