Hand Sanitizers Help You Stay Healthy
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 most often used for cleaning hands when water and soap are not available. There are 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. The amount of alcohol in these sanitizers varies between 60% and 85%. 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 manufactured 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, but they also contain additional components that could moisturize and condition the skin. Hospitals use sanitizer dispensers equipped with elbow controlled mechanism to avoid any contact with the pump.
Non-alcohol based hand sanitizers use small quantity of benzalkonium chloride or triclosan to kill gems.
As they do not contain alcohol, which is a preservative, the non-alcohol based hand sanitizers could become contaminated.
How to Utilize Hand Sanitizer
Hand sanitizers could kill most bacteria and viruses immediately while on the skin. How do we use it properly and when should we use it?
Below is the correct way to use hand sanitizer:
- Apply enough sanitizer gel to the palm of one hand.
- Rub the solution over all surfaces of your hands and fingers for few seconds until your hands are dry.
- If your hands are visibly dirty, you should wash them with soap and water.
- When to sanitize your hands? It would be a good idea to sanitizer your hands:
- before and after preparing food.
- before meals.
- before and after treating wounds.
- before inserting or removing contact lenses.
- after touching an animal.
- after coughing or sneezing into your hands.
Health 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 viruses like flu virus, the common cold virus, and HIV and many bacteria for example antibiotic resistant bacteria and TB bacteria. They also kill fungi.
The Risks
Alcohol is flammable. Alcohol based hand sanitizers can catch fire of it. However, some hand sanitizers with high high water content or moisturizing agents 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.
