Wudu is a short ritual washing performed before prayer. It is not complicated, and most people pick up the full routine within a few tries. The idea behind it is to approach prayer in a state of cleanliness, both physically and as a moment of preparation.
When wudu is needed
Wudu is generally required before each of the five daily prayers, unless it has not been broken since the last time you performed it (for example, you have not used the bathroom, slept deeply, or done anything else that ends the state of wudu since then). As a beginner, the simplest approach is to perform wudu fresh before each prayer until a teacher walks you through the exceptions.
The standard order
Wudu is performed using clean water, usually at a sink or a wudu area in a mosque. The commonly taught order is as follows.
Form the intention
Before starting, you quietly intend in your heart that you are performing wudu for the purpose of prayer. Nothing needs to be said out loud.
Wash your hands
Wash both hands up to the wrist, generally three times, making sure water reaches between the fingers.
Rinse your mouth
Take a mouthful of water and rinse your mouth, then spit it out. This is usually done three times.
Clean your nose
Sniff a small amount of water gently into your nostrils and then blow it out, again usually three times.
Wash your face
Wash your entire face from the top of your forehead (hairline) down to your chin, and from ear to ear, generally three times.
Wash your arms to the elbows
Wash the right arm first, from the fingertips up to and including the elbow, then the left arm the same way. This is usually done three times per arm.
Wipe your head and hair
With wet hands, wipe over your head once, commonly from front to back (or back to front and back again, depending on how you were taught).
Wipe your ears
Using damp fingers, wipe the inside and outside of both ears, usually as part of the same motion as wiping the head.
Wash your feet to the ankles
Wash the right foot first, up to and including the ankle, making sure water reaches between the toes, then the left foot the same way. This is usually done three times per foot.
Order and small details vary slightly
The sequence above is the commonly taught order, but you may come across small variations between different teachers or schools of thought, for example in exactly how the head is wiped. As a beginner, this is not something to stress over. Learn one consistent version from a teacher or mosque first, and let the finer details settle in over time rather than trying to compare every source you find online.
What breaks wudu
Wudu is generally considered broken by things like using the bathroom, passing gas, deep sleep, or bleeding, among other situations. If any of these happen, wudu is simply repeated before the next prayer. There is no penalty or shame involved, it is just part of the normal rhythm of the day.
A practical tip
If you are at home, performing wudu at a bathroom sink works fine. If you are at a mosque, there is almost always a dedicated wudu area with low taps or stools, and it is completely normal to watch how others do it the first time or to quietly ask someone to show you.
A note before you go
The steps above cover the shape of wudu well, but small details, like exactly how much water to use or how the head is wiped, are genuinely easier to pick up by watching someone do it once in person. If you visit a mosque, it is completely normal to ask someone nearby to walk you through it the first time. Nobody will think twice about it, everyone there learned the same way at some point.