Tiny Bottles: Hand Sanitizers Come of Age

Have you noticed how the popularity of those liquid gel hand sanitizers seems to have suddenly increased?

Not too long ago, these convenient and easy to use hand cleaners were found exclusively in hospitals or other health care settings. Not any more...

Yesterday, I spotted tiny bottles hanging in the check-out display of the grocery store. Even office supply stores, like Office Max, are carrying them as well. Moms and dads are packing small bottles of the gel in their kids' lunch boxes and stashing a container in the glove compartment of the family car as well.

But do hand sanitizers really work? And can using a hand sanitizer replace good old soap and water?

The answer is...yes and no. It all depends.

If your hands are visibly dirty, with grime and grease (or in the case of health care workers, blood or other potentially germ laden material), then head for the soap and water. Alcohol, which is the active ingredient in hand sanitizers, doesn't do a good job of cutting through grime like this. If you don't have access to soap and water, at least wipe all visible dirt away with a cloth or paper towel before applying the hand sanitizer.

Another caveat...

take a look at the ingredients label of the hand sanitizer you are using or planning to buy.

The FDA states that hand sanitizers MUST have a concentration of no less than 60%, ethanol or isopropanol, the active ingredients responsible for killing germs.

Some brands on the market today contain far less. Plus, a few recipes on the internet for homemade hand sanitizers, use far less alcohol than is recommended.

Tip from your Wellness Coach: Use soap and water as your first choice. If you need to use a liquid gel hand sanitizer, choose one with a concentration of at least 60% alcohol.

How much should you use?

Squeeze out enough of the gel to throughly wet your hands. Rub hands together until they are dry. If your hands are dry within 10 to 15 seconds, you haven't used enough.

Comments

[Bonnie Hill]

Yes and no is a great answer Ellen. I found out he hard way that using hand santiizers to wash off oil from poison ivy is a very definate NO! The sanitizer got rid of the germs perhaps but did a number on spreading the oil from the ivy. Rather than just getting the rash where the oil hit my skin, i did a magnificent job of spreading the oils to all parts of my hands, arms, face and everywhere else the santizer went. Then because I figured I did a great job with that tiny bottle, I didn't worry about washing while I proceded to drive in the car for another 5 hours! Well, I'm sure you guessed the results of the tiny bottle's false sense of cleaniness. Total rash coverage and infection! Next time...it's water and soap for me!

[jeremias g cajaljal]

can you post the ingredients of hand sanitizer

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