Washing your hand frequently with soap and water can prevent the spread of many dangerous diseases. If water and soap are not available, you can use hand hand sanitizers.
What exactly is hand sanitizer? A hand sanitizer is a gel, foam, and liquid solution that kills viruses and bacteria. It is often used for cleaning hands when water and soap are not available. You will find two types of hand sanitizers, alcohol based hand sanitizers and non-alcohol hand sanitizers.
Alcohol based hand sanitizers use alcohol to kill most bacteria, fungi and many viruses. You could find different amount of concentration of alcohol in a variety of sanitizers. Some have as much as 85% of alcohol whereas others have 60%. Most hand sanitizers found in the market contain 62% of alcohol. The most common brands of alcohol based hand sanitizers include Purell sanitizers, Avant, Sterillium, Desderman and Allsept S.
Some hand sanitizers are produced with extra ingredients such as natural products and essential oils. These hand sanitizers don’t just contain alcohol that is necessary to kill germs effectively and safely, however they also contain additional substances that could moisturize and condition your skin. Hospitals use sanitizer dispensers equipped with elbow controlled mechanism to prevent any contact when using the pump.
Non-alcohol based hand sanitizers use chemical agents which include benzalkonium chloride or triclosan to kill germs. The quantity of benzalkonium chloride or triclosan of these products is low.
Alcohol is known as a preservative. As they do not contain alcohol, the non-alcohol based hand sanitizers. are succeptible to contamination.
How to Utilize Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizers could kill most bacteria and viruses immediately while on your skin. How do we use it properly and when should we use it?
The proper way of using hand sanitizer is as shown below:
- Apply enough sanitizer gel to wet your hands
- Rub your hands together. Cover both hands and fingers with the solution. Keep rubbing until your hands are dry.
- If your hands are visibly dirty, you should wash them with soap and water.
- When to apply the sanitizer gel? It would be a good idea to sanitizer your hands:
- before and after food preparation.
- before meals.
- before and after treating patients.
- before inserting or removing contact lenses.
- after changing a diaper.
- after coughing or sneezing into your hands.
Benefits of Hand Sanitizers
Most people think that the alcohol based hand sanitizers could make your skin dry. Well it is true. However, it dries skin less than hand washing with soap and water.
Hand sanitizers kill many bacteria such as antibiotic resistant bacteria and TB bacteria. They also kill viruses such as flu virus, the common cold virus, and HIV.
Hand sanitizers also kill fungi.
The Risk
Alcohol based hand sanitizers can catch fire because of its alcohol content. However, some hand sanitizers with high concentration of water or moisturizing content may not produce this effect. To minimize the risk of fire, it would be a good idea to rub your hands until dry. This indicates that flammable alcohol has evaporated into the air.
