# Hände waschen

"Hände waschen" is a much-loved German children's song, commonly credited to the Swiss songwriter Gerda Bächli, that turns washing your hands (and hair, and feet) into a game ending in a great shaking-dry.

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Germany |
| Sung in | German |
| Words by | Gerda Bächli |
| First known | commonly attributed to Gerda Bächli |
| Best for ages | 2–7 |
| Mood | playful, traditional |
| Page | https://littlesongbook.com/songs/hande-waschen/ |

## Lyrics

### Verse 1 (de)

Hände waschen, Hände waschen muss ein jedes Kind.
Hände waschen, Hände waschen, bis sie sauber sind.
Nun sind die Hände sauber, ja,
doch leider ist kein Handtuch da.
Drum müssen wir sie schütteln,
schütteln, schütteln, schütteln,
drum müssen wir sie schütteln,
bis dass sie trocken sind.

### Verse 2 (de)

Haare waschen, Haare waschen muss ein jedes Kind.
Haare waschen, Haare waschen, bis sie sauber sind.
Nun sind die Haare sauber, ja,
doch leider ist kein Handtuch da.
Drum müssen wir sie schütteln,
schütteln, schütteln, schütteln,
drum müssen wir sie schütteln,
bis dass sie trocken sind.

### Verse 3 (de)

Füße waschen, Füße waschen muss ein jedes Kind.
Füße waschen, Füße waschen, bis sie sauber sind.
Nun sind die Füße sauber, ja,
doch leider ist kein Handtuch da.
Drum müssen wir sie schütteln,
schütteln, schütteln, schütteln,
drum müssen wir sie schütteln,
bis dass sie trocken sind.

### English translation (en)

Wash your hands, wash your hands, every child must do,
wash your hands, wash your hands, until they're nice and clean.
Now the hands are clean, oh yes,
but sadly there's no towel here.
So we have to shake them,
shake them, shake them, shake them,
so we have to shake them,
until they're nice and dry.

Wash your hair, wash your hair, every child must do,
wash your hair, wash your hair, until it's nice and clean.
Now the hair is clean, oh yes,
but sadly there's no towel here.
So we have to shake it,
shake it, shake it, shake it,
so we have to shake it,
until it's nice and dry.

Wash your feet, wash your feet, every child must do,
wash your feet, wash your feet, until they're nice and clean.
Now the feet are clean, oh yes,
but sadly there's no towel here.
So we have to shake them,
shake them, shake them, shake them,
so we have to shake them,
until they're nice and dry.

## Common questions

**What is "Hände waschen" about?**

Washing up. Every child must wash their hands until they are clean — but, the song jokes, there is sadly no towel, so we have to shake them dry instead, shaking and shaking until they are done. Later verses do the same with hair and feet.

**Who wrote "Hände waschen"?**

It is most often credited to the Swiss children's-song writer Gerda Bächli. It is a modern song rather than an old folk tune, and is one of the best-known German children's songs, a staple of crèches and kindergartens.

**Why is "Hände waschen" useful?**

It makes an everyday routine fun and repeatable. By pairing hand-washing with a tune and a comic shaking-dry, it helps small children learn and enjoy a hygiene habit — which is why nurseries reach for it so often.

## Sources

- [DeutschMusikBlog — Hände waschen, Hände waschen muss ein jedes Kind](https://deutschmusikblog.de/haende-waschen-haende-waschen-muss-ein-jedes-kind/)