This article FREE THROUGH APRIL! Each year, an estimated two million healthcare-associated infections (HCAI) are transmitted in the U.S., leading to 90,000 deaths among Americans and an estimated $6.5 billion in medical expenses. This article discusses what every phlebotomist must know about hand hygiene to prevent pathogen transmission, including when to sanitize hands, a comparison of cleansing agents, practices that promote skin irritation, barriers to hand hygiene compliance, glove use, tourniquets, and World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations regarding fingernails and jewelry. Adapted from a series of articles that originally appeared in Phlebotomy Today. (3,736 words, 12 pages)