What to Look For in Hand Sanitizer

[Sentry18]

What to Look For in Hand Sanitizer | The Active Ingredient
by Ken Jorgustin | Updated Mar 5, 2020 | HEALTH | 16 comments

Hand sanitizer will have an active ingredient. It’s the ingredient that gets the job done. The disinfecting.
Use it when hand washing is not available or practical. It will help to kill bacteria and inactivate virus that may have gotten on your hands.

Hand Sanitizer Active Ingredient
The active ingredient is typically alcohol. Most common is ethyl alcohol. Also, isopropyl alcohol.
Why alcohol? Because it is antimicrobial. It kills bacteria. Alcohol kills bacteria usually by dissolving its cellular membrane.
“The way alcohol-based hand sanitizers work is basically by busting the cell wall of germs” and thus killing them, said one doctor. Compared with soap and water, sanitizers are a convenient alternative when you’re on the go.

Does Hand Sanitizer with Alcohol Kill Virus?

Alcohol is effective against influenza virus.

Ethyl alcohol (70%) is a powerful broad-spectrum germicide and is considered generally superior to isopropyl alcohol.
~ National Center for Biotechnology Information

Alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill most types of bacteria, viruses and fungi in a few seconds.

While rubbing your hands with sanitizer for 15 seconds is ideal, poor hand-sanitizer use still beats poor hand washing.
~ livescience

What’s interesting is this… Upon researching for a definitive answer whether or not hand sanitizer with alcohol inactivates virus (which they do)… there were caveats.
Caveats: The duration (sanitize time) of application – time it takes to destroy the virus. The type of virus. The protective mucas barrier that surrounds droplets of the virus (wet vs dry). Alcohol concentration. Are the hands dirty. Using the recommended amount.
As expected, there’s nothing definitive regarding the new covid-19 coronavirus.

Are Hand Sanitzers with Alcohol Better than Non-Alcohol?
Apparently, yes.

Many studies have found that those with an alcohol concentration between 60–95% are more effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based..
~ cdc

I look for a 70% alcohol content. Most common are in the 60% range. But why not up the dose? If you look for it, you’ll probably find some that are 70%. I did.

Is Washing Hands Better Than Hand Sanitizer?
Yes, IF DONE PROPERLY. The problem is, most people don’t (wash hands the right way).
With that in mind, one might suggest that proper application of hand sanitizer may be considered better – because it’s easier and more likely. But that would only be because people don’t wash their hands the way in which it would be most effective!

The Takeaway
I keep it in my vehicle (and at home). I apply it to my hands immediately upon re-entering my vehicle. It’s a logical sensible thing to do, especially during flu season (or coronavirus pandemic!).
Unfortunately hand sanitizer is largely difficult to get right now because of the unfolding coronavirus situation. Hopefully this is temporary. Just keep looking…

https://modernsurvivalblog.com/health/hand-sanitizer-active-ingredient/

 

[Rich1028]

At work I keep a small bottle of it in my tool bag.
I wipe it on my hands before going on breaks and lunch.
bathroom is way to far of a walk,and to much time wasted from my break and lunch time to be walking that far.
Hell in the old days of doing body work, or mechanic, I would just wipe them the best I could and eat .

 

[Supervisor42]

https://modernsurvivalblog.com/health/hand-sanitizer-active-ingredient/

I always keep a bottle of this 'on hand' (pun).
95% Baby!!!

Alcohol is effective against influenza virus.

Ethyl alcohol (70%) is a powerful broad-spectrum germicide and is considered generally superior to isopropyl alcohol.

Besides viruses and bacteria, it can also neutralize other unwanted visitors
Can I fix you a drink?

 

[Terri9630]

Everclear +chunked up fruit makes for a good days sleep.

 

[Amish Heart]

Ha Ha
Just serve it in a hollowed out watermelon with some of those little umbrellas
If you're asleep, you don't need to sanitize your hands

 

[Rich1028]

I just started to carry this with me (in A Flask ) while riding our Quads on the Trails.
It can be used to clean cuts,or can be used to help keep you calm,and out of pain.

 

[backlash]

Around here the thing to look for in hand sanitizer is availability. All the stores are out of all germ-fighting products. No sanitizers and no antibacterial soap.
You would think Walmart get their stock from China.
Looks like it might be time to get back into the old family business of distilling alcohol.
Dad was good at that until the revenuers almost caught him.

 

[SheepDog]

Just buy some liquid dish washing soap. I've used it for all my needs for decades. When we had a house full of kids with head lice I was the only one that didn't get it. I use dish soap for body wash. shampoo, washing my hands, face and even shaving cream. I use the biodegradable dish soap so when we went hiking and backpacking I didn't need anything special.

I recommend it for all your washing needs. It is a little harsh on cuts and scratches but you won't get any infections.

 

[Patchouli]

Just buy some liquid dish washing soap. I've used it for all my needs for decades. When we had a house full of kids with head lice I was the only one that didn't get it. I use dish soap for body wash. shampoo, washing my hands, face and even shaving cream. I use the biodegradable dish soap so when we went hiking and backpacking I didn't need anything special.

I recommend it for all your washing needs. It is a little harsh on cuts and scratches but you won't get any infections.

Do you mean just any liquid dishwashing soap?
Some have differing properties. Doesn't it dry your skin, or give you dandruff?
Have you ever used Dr. Bronner's?

 

[SheepDog]

The only ones I have used are listed as biodegradable and inexpensive.
At first it seems to dry your skin but after about a month your body learns to replace the oils. The living skin is below a layer of dead skin so you are not hurting anything unless you get it in your eyes. Rinse, cry, repeat as necessary. It will get rid of dandruff, or it did mine.
Dish soap is made to dissolve the bonds of fat and dirt. It is engineered to rinse completely and leave no trace behind. That is why we use it to clean our dishes and even a mechanics hands are clean after doing the dishes. It doesn't harm the environment (rinsing in a lake or stream) or the living creatures in the environment. It won't hurt you but if you want to smell "purty" you will have to add that after you are clean. If you are hunting the fragrance free soap is wonderful.

 

[backlash]

I keep Dawn dish soap in the bathrooms. I also keep a bottle outside by the faucet. Great for cleaning my hands. We buy it in gallon bottles.

 

[angie_nrs]

I bought about a dozen bottles of purell a while ago when one of the stores around here went out of business. I use them at work and in vehicles. They have expiration dates of 2017. I don't care. I'm still using them. I can't imagine the efficasy has changed all that much, if any.