What is hand sanitizer?

With the recent news stories focusing on the H1N1 flu, hand sanitizers have recently been in the spotlight. You may be wondering what exactly hand sanitizer is and why you should use it.

Hand sanitizers provide a safe way to kill germs, bacteria, and viruses, helping reduce the spread of diseases, including H1N1 and other flu viruses. Using a hand sanitizer is the easiest way to prevent infection when you don’t have access to soap and water. Hand sanitizers have been proven as being more effective at killing germs than using soap and water, and they do not dry out your hands like soaps can. The U.S. Center for Disease Control considers hand sanitizers to provide an acceptable replacement to soap and water when hands aren’t visibly dirty.

Hand sanitizers are available in both alcohol-based and alcohol-free formulas. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers generally use isopropyl alcohol or ethanol, while non-alcohol formulas use other agents such as benzalkonium chloride or triclosan. There are a number of different types of hand sanitizers, including liquid, foam, and gel solutions. In tests, isopropyl alcohol has been shown to kill 99.99 percent of bacteria within 30 seconds, both on surfaces and on skin.

Some people prefer gel hand sanitizers because they stay on your hand without dripping. Others prefer liquid solutions because they don’t leave a sticky residue behind like gels can. For use on children’s hands, liquid hand sanitizers are safer because children are less likely to ingest any residue. Liquids are also available in a spray form, making their application easier and drip-free.