When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses endorsed alcohol-based hand rubs for surgical hand antisepsis, many surgical facility managers had questions. Are rubs really worth integrating into the surgical protocol? Are they truly effective under gloves? Are there significant product differences? Should the surgical team pre-wash or just stick with more traditional soap-and-water techniques? Whether you're already rubbing before surgery, or are still contemplating the role of rubs for surgical hand antisepsis, here are three steps toward surgical rub success.