Hand Sanitizer

When the winter months set in, it is but obvious that the winter cold and flu season hits you in full swing. When the summer months hit the town, bacteria and viruses often do the damage. Whatever the season may be, viruses, germs, and microorganisms do thrive and circulate everywhere. While everyone tries to dodge them, there is no escape from these viruses known as the major cause of intestinal illness, and the root of outbreaks at schools, open playgrounds, and hospitals.

The question that arises is how to best avoid these infections and the only valid answer is through personal hygiene. Hygiene is not limited to bathing or wearing clean clothes, but a thorough hand washing is one of the typically recommended activities to seriously consider if you want illness to stay at bay. This is when the use of hand sanitizers are highly recommended and promoted too.

Hand sanitizers are available as clear gels packed in plastic bottles that are easily available in any supermarket, medical store, and convenience store. They are available in large sizes and small travel-pack containers and are commonly used in places where germs are a concern.

The idea is not to over wash your hands or to use hand sanitizers as it can backfire causing more outbreaks of virus related illness. The purpose is to use a proper hand sanitizer at specific times when it is deemed necessary in order to evade the transfer of bacteria especially when you have been to places that are commonly infested with viruses such as public conveniences, hospitals, and nursing homes.

One must understand that keeping your hands clean through improved hand hygiene is one of the most important steps in order to avoid sickness and the spreading of germs. Many diseases and illness are spread through your hands and by not washing your hands thoroughly, you make yourself more susceptible to these viruses and moreover, you can even transfer it to others. While there are places where the use of soaps and water is limited, this is when using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol to clean your hands makes for an ideal choice.

Features of hand sanitizers

A hand sanitizer is made up of a mixture of ethanol, alcohol, glycerin, and several anti-bacterial ingredients. Added scents and colors are included depending on the manufacturers’ choice, however, it is recommended that hand sanitizers should contain a concentration of at least 60% alcohol or ethanol in order for it to be effective.

Hand sanitizers comprise of ethyl alcohol, as one of the active ingredient which works as an ideal antiseptic that kills almost 99.9% germs and disease spreading bacteria. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are clearly a very useful and vital method to prevent most viral and bacterial infections, except in rare situations when a person is infected by a bacterium that can lead to life-threatening illnesses.

Hand sanitizes are effective in killing viruses that cause colds and flu and hence are highly recommended for use by school going children, college students, people who are working and those who are frequent travelers. It is also recommended by specialists that hand sanitizers should be used especially in situations when water is not available for hand washing purposes.

Benefits of hand sanitizers

When working in an environment replete of communally used equipments and people such as children playgrounds, or an outdoor working space, it is difficult to ensure that your hands are clean at all times. This is the reason why the use of hand sanitizers is highly beneficial. All you need are antibacterial rubs that guarantees to kill germs and harmful illness causing bacteria.

Utility of hand sanitizers

You need to squeeze out a teaspoon-sized amount of the hand sanitizer onto the palm of your hand, and then thoroughly rub it over the surfaces of your palms, fingers and wrists. You need not rinse as hand sanitizers are designed to air dry.

You should keep a small bottle of hand sanitizer on you when on the go, or on your desk at your work place. This offers a quick and convenient way to disinfect your hands and eliminate any potential harmful bacteria.

Always ensure that when you are tending to a sick child or a person at home, you ought to be careful to wash yours and their hands during regular intervals especially when handling their things so as to avoid the transfer of germs.

While washing your hands with a medicated soap and thorough rinsing can kill germs, using a proper hand sanitizer is equally beneficial to instantly kill germs that hand washing may not have eliminated. It is also equally necessary to understand that while hand sanitizers are helpful when soap and water is unavailable, they should not replace your regular hand washing routine.