Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:253ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > Yaḥyá b. Abū Bukayr > Ibrāhīm b. Nāfiʿ > al-Ḥasan b. Muslim > Ṣafiyyah b. Shaybah > ʿĀʾishah

When any of us was sexually defiled, she took three handfuls (of water) in this way, that is to say, with both hands together and poured (water) over her head. She took one handful (of water) and threw it on one side and the other on the other side.  

أبو داود:٢٥٣حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ نَافِعٍ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ شَيْبَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ

كَانَتْ إِحْدَانَا إِذَا أَصَابَتْهَا جَنَابَةٌ أَخَذَتْ ثَلاَثَ حَفَنَاتٍ هَكَذَا تَعْنِي بِكَفَّيْهَا جَمِيعًا فَتَصُبُّ عَلَى رَأْسِهَا وَأَخَذَتْ بِيَدٍ وَاحِدَةٍ فَصَبَّتْهَا عَلَى هَذَا الشِّقِّ وَالأُخْرَى عَلَى الشِّقِّ الآخَرِ