Keeping your hands clean with soap and water or the use of hand sanitizers is important measure to help prevent the spread of influenza.
What is hand sanitizer? A hand sanitizer is a gel, foam, and liquid solution which acts as an alternative to hand washing with soap and water. You will find two types of hand sanitizers, alcohol based hand sanitizers and non-alcohol hand sanitizers.
Alcohol based hand sanitizers kill viruses and bacteria because of its alcohol content. The level of alcohol in these sanitizers varies between 60% and 85%. Common 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 come with extra ingredients such as natural products and essential oils. These hand sanitizers can kill germs as well as moisturize your skin. Hospitals use sanitizer dispensers equipped with elbow controlled mechanism to avoid any contact when using the pump.
Non-alcohol based hand sanitizers use small concentration of benzalkonium chloride or triclosan to kill gems.
Since they do not contain alcohol, which is a preservative, the non-alcohol based hand sanitizers are succeptible to contamination.
How to Use Hand Sanitizer
We all know that hand sanitizers could kill most bacteria and viruses. How do we use it properly and when should we use it?
This is the correct way to use hand sanitizer:
- Apply enough solution 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 sanitize your hands? You should 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 handling something that could be contaminated, such as garbage.
Benefits of Hand Sanitizers
Despite common perceptions, alcohol-based hand sanitizers dries skin less than hand washing with soap and water.
Hand sanitizers kill viruses such as flu virus, the common cold virus, and HIV and numerous bacteria for instance antibiotic resistant bacteria and TB bacteria. They also kill fungi.
The Risks
Alcohol based hand sanitizers can catch fire because of its alcohol content. However, hand sanitizers with high high water content or moisturizing agents may not produce this effect. Rubbing your hands until dry could minimize the risk of fire. This indicates that flammable alcohol has evaporated into the air.
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