Proper handwashing is the single most effective way to limit the spread of the H1N1 flu.
How to wash your hands - 7 tips
Remove all rings and wet your hands with warm running water.
Put a small amount of liquid soap in the palm of one hand. Bar soaps are not as hygienic as liquid soaps because they stay moist and attract germs. If a bar soap is the only option it should be stored on a rack so that the bar doesn't sit in water.
Rub your hands together for 20 seconds so you produce lather. Make sure you scrub between your fingers, under your fingernails and the backs of your hands.
Rinse your hands well with clean running water for at least 10 seconds. Try not to handle the faucets once your hands are clean. Use a paper towel to turn off the water.
Dry your hands with a single use paper towel. If you use a hand towel be sure to change it daily. During cold and flu season you may want to give each family member his or her own hand towel.
Use hand lotion to put moisture back into your skin if your hands are dry.
Model good handwashing technique to your children. Have them sing a song like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while rubbing their hands together to teach them the amount of time it takes to clean their hands properly.
What kind of soap should I use? Plain or antibacterial soap?
Antibacterial soaps and cleaners are readily available - there are hundreds of brands on the market. Yet, antibacterial soaps offer no benefit over regular, plain soaps in preventing common illnesses.
Antibacterial soaps contain antibiotics in amounts that kill some of the germs on your skin. When you use antibacterial soaps the bacteria at the edge of the soap line are exposed to only a little bit of antibiotic. These bad germs survive and become resistant (they can't be killed) to that particular antibiotic. They can also transfer their antibiotic resistance to good germs.
Plain, ordinary soap has ingredients that help to remove dirt and grease from your skin. The mechanical action of handwashing - rubbing your hands together with soap and water - breaks down the tiny bits of grease, fat and dirt on your hands that bad germs cling to. Soap doesn't actually kill the bad germs, instead, it's the combination of soap, rubbing, rinsing and drying that helps these bugs slide off your hands.
The bottom line: plain soap and good handwashing technique are the best way to remove the dirt and grease that attract bad bacteria.
Both alcohol-based hand sanitizers and soap and water have a place in prevention of infections. You should use an alcohol sanitizer when you are out and not able to wash your hands—for example, at the mall or after riding public transit. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers don't contain antibiotics. But the alcohol kills both good and bad bacteria on your skin so use it sparingly. And keep in mind that they don't work well if you have a lot of dirt and grease on your hands.
Most of us were taught to cough and sneeze into our hands, but this behavior spreads germs from hands to doorknobs, telephones and other people; in other words, to everything else in our world. This behavior enables the rapid spread of germs that cause seasonal flu, and swine flu. Proper respiratory etiquette can prevent many people from getting sick.
To avoid this means of contagion, cough or sneeze into a tissue, and dispose of the tissue immediately. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your sleeve, or the crook of your arm.
Be sure to wash hands immediately after coughing and sneezing, or use an antiseptic cleanser.
Plain, ordinary soap has ingredients that help to remove dirt and grease from your skin. The mechanical action of handwashing - rubbing your hands together with soap and water - breaks down the tiny bits of grease, fat and dirt on your hands that bad germs cling to. Soap doesn't actually kill the bad germs, instead, it's the combination of soap, rubbing, rinsing and drying that helps these bugs slide off your hands. 
