Should You Use Hand Sanitizers?

Hand Sanitizers are Great! But Are They Safe? And Do They Work?

Hand sanitizers are really useful! They seem like a great way to protect yourself and your family from all the germs lurking all over the place. But do they actually work?

Here’s what you need to know.

First – How Do You Get Sick?

We pick up infectious diseases from other people.

• Someone might cough or sneeze or talk near us.
• We might get infected indirectly too – if sick person touches a remote control, a door handle or an escalator, and you then touch that same thing.
• And then we touch our mouth, eyes, nose or an open cut.

Your fingers are dirty They carry germs – so it makes sense to sanitize them, right? Of course!

But what is the BEST way to sanitize those germy fingers?

The BEST Way Is To Wash Your Hands

It’s probably what your mother always told you. The best way is to wash your hands with soap and water.

And here’s something even more interesting! When you wash your hands, it isn’t the soap that’s killing the germs.  It’s the rubbing back and forth and the action of washing that is removing the germs. (Wow!).

And so after washing your hands, the fewer organisms (germs) that you have left, the lower your risk of getting sick.

That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends washing with soap and water whenever possible as the first line of defense against all kinds of germs.

Hand-washing gets rid of most types of germs, including Cryptosporidium, norovirus and Clostridium difficile.  And guess what? These specific germs are NOT typically removed by hand sanitizers!

So, Do Hand Sanitizers Work?

Well, yes and no.

• We now know that they don’t remove the wide range of germs that washing with soap and water does.
• Many advertisements for hand sanitizers make misleading claims about their effectiveness. For example, in January 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the makers of Purell hand sanitizer to stop claiming that the product could stop people from catching illnesses, because it could not be proven.
• In addition, hand sanitizers aren’t as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy, according to the CDC.

However…..

• Sometimes you just don’t have access to soap and water. And when that’s the case, hand sanitizer is a very smart choice.
• Many studies show that sanitizers work well in clinical settings like hospitals, where hands come into contact with germs but generally are not very dirty.
• Hand sanitizers can be a quick and easy choice for workers who have to clean their hands frequently when hands aren’t visibly dirty.

Next – what to look for when you buy sanitizer.

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The Best Hand Sanitizers

When you want to buy hand sanitizer, for the times when you can’t wash your hands properly, here’s what to look for.

1. It must contain at least 60% alcohol. It’s the alcohol that removes the germs, and less alcohol means it’s less effective.
2. Avoid sanitizers that contain triclosan, a banned product. (Sanitizers saying “anti-bacterial” or “anti-microbial” often contain triclosan).
3. Avoid scented gels. The scents are mostly from artificial chemicals and some are harmful.

How To Correctly Use Hand Sanitizer

Here’s what to do.

1. You need at least a one-inch-sized dollop of gel. (2.5 cm)
2. Apply it to the palm of one hand and rub your hands together.
3. Rub the gel all over your hands, in between your fingers and into your nail beds.
4. Rub until your hands are completely dry. Don’t wipe it off before it dries.
5. The process should take about 20 seconds.

How To Properly Wash Your Hands

Yes, you might think you know this….. but you might not!

How the CDC says you should wash your hands:

• Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap and apply soap.
• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers and under your nails.
• Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
• Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or allow them to air-dry naturally.

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Warm regards,

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