Hand Sanitizers

A few years ago during the SARS epidemic, scientist and researchers gave the public very simple instructions on how they could help protect themselves from catching the disease. Hand washing was the technique that was recommended for those that were trying to make sure that they did not come down with SARS. Hand washing is by far one of the most effective prevention measures you can take advantage of.

Hand sanitizers have become very popular over the past few years. There are many hand sanitizers that boast that they kill 99% of bacteria on your hands. Of course, most of us are going to look at that and think, “hey, that’s great!” Because the cleaner the better, right? Well, you would think, but this may not be the case.

Hand sanitizers say that they can kill over 99% of bacteria on your hands, but can they
? Actually, what hand sanitizers do is strip your hands of whatever is on their layer. That means that the alcohol in hand sanitizers does remove bacteria. However, most of the bacteria that hand sanitizers remove is not the kind that would cause colds. So why remove it?

Research into hand sanitizers is showing that you can use hand sanitizers in conjunction with hand washing, but you should still use soap and water to wash your hands. Nothing is better than cleaning the hands with than soap and water. Hand sanitizers work but they may work too well. The bacteria on the top layer of your hands is not going to hurt you, and it could help you in some cases.

In order for hand sanitizers to be effective you need to use the ones that have at least 60% alcohol. If you can see the dirt on your hands, you need to wash with soap and water first. You can still use a hand sanitizer but only after you wash your hands first.

Remember, hand washing is an easy way to prevent catching colds and other bacteria. It is very simple and does not require you to buy anything other than soap. Hand sanitizers are great substitutes for hand washing if you are in a place where you can not immediately get to soap and water.

You can purchase small bottles of hand sanitizers for very low prices. The smaller bottles fit nicely into your purse or pocket. If you find yourself in situations where there is no sink available, hand sanitizers can be just the thing you need.