Hand Sanitizer – Smart to Have or Just a Fad?

Posted 11-30-2009 3:01 am by
Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to step foot into the public without seeing hand sanitizer practically everywhere. From dispensers at schools, offices, and malls, staying germ free by rubbing the alcohol based product on your hands seems like the smart and practical thing to do. But is it effective?

Yes. Hand sanitizers that consist of at least 60 to 95 percent alcohol is effective at combating the flu and other viruses and bacteria. According to Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases the nation is “beginning to see some declines in influenza activity.” But, Schuchat warns, “there is still a lot of influenza everywhere.”
Because up to 80 percent of all influenza infections get spread by hands, it therefore only makes sense for people to wash their hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizers. If neither is available, seek out other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol – although not as effective, it is better than nothing. What the alcohol in hand sanitizers does is disrupt the coating of virus and bacteria particles, damaging the outside of the particle, thus deactivating the virus.
The key to effective hand sanitizer usage is to cover the entire surface of your hands and allow it to dry. If you miss a spot on your hand (such as in between your fingers), the viruses/ bacteria can remain.
While hand sanitizer works against the viruses and bacteria practically immediately, it does not protect against whatever you may touch next. Therefore, it is recommended to use hand sanitizer three to five times in a given day. If you are coughing or sneezing, use it more frequently. If you are going into a public place, apply the sanitizer on your hands before you go in, and after you leave.
Lastly, as effective as hand sanitizers are, scrubbing your hands with soap and water – for at least 15 to 20 seconds as advised by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – is better than using hand sanitizer simply because washing physically removes the virus particles, instead of just deactivating them.

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