#WashYourLyrics: new website helps people wash their hands for 20 seconds through song

The site automatically generates handwashing instructions using the lyrics from your favourite songs

Billy Ray Cyrus creates a #WashYourLyrics meme to lyrics from 'Old Town Road'. Twitter

You've probably heard it over and over again that one of the top ways to help stop the spread of coronavirus is to wash your hands for at least 20 seconds. That's easy until you realise the average person washes their hands for far less than that – an average of six seconds, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.

So to make it easier for people to wash their hands properly and for those long 20 seconds, a Twitter user named William has come up with washyourlyrics.com, a website that automatically generates 20-second handwashing instructions using the lyrics from your favourite songs.

Thanks to William, a designer in the UK, many people have downloaded and created #WashYourLyrics memes for the world to enjoy as people self-isolate. Musicians and bands such as Blink 182, Miley Cyrus and her father Billy Ray Cyrus have also created their own versions.

International companies such as YouTube and Netflix have also joined in the fun.

So pick out a tune and get washing.