Is Using Hand Sanitizers As Effective As Washing Your Hands?
In the past, if you shook hands with a new acquaintance and immediately used a sanitiser, you might have been considered rude because it implies that the person’s hand is dirty. That was the case before the pandemic happened. But now, we disinfect our hands almost every time after touching anything.
One of the easiest and most effective ways of preventing the catch of the COVID virus is by washing our hands. Medical experts suggest doing it for at least 20 seconds, ensuring every part of the hands is washed with soap and water.But what if we are outdoors and have no access to the tap? This is where sanitisers come into the picture. However, do you know the effectiveness of sanitisers as compared to handwashing? Or are they even effective at all?
If this is something that you’re interested in knowing about, then keep on reading!
Please note that this is not medical advice. Please consult your relevant healthcare professional for specific medical advice for your needs.
Are Sanitisers Effective?
A grocery store is a place where you expect to be exposed to more people. And since this place never runs out of customers, items here are not frequently sanitised, unlike in the malls. For this reason, before going to the grocery, you should equip yourself with a face mask and hand sanitiser since you cannot always go to the washroom for a quick hand wash.
To end your anxiety about this matter, yes, sanitisers are capable of protecting you from bacteria and viruses but only if you choose the right products. Some sanitisers consist of benzalkonium chloride, which is known to kill bacteria. This ingredient is also active against viruses, but when it comes to seasonal variants, such as COVID-19, alcohol is more preferred. In this case, alcohol-based sanitisers are still more effective.
Experts suggest looking for sanitisers with more than 60 per cent alcohol content because this is considered a good alternative. The FDA also recommends using ethanol or isopropanol with up to 95 per cent alcohol content.
What to Avoid in Sanitisers?
Since alcohol content contributes to the effectiveness of sanitisers, people are often advised not to use alcohol-free sanitisers. Unfortunately, there are not enough studies on their effectiveness. You may also be warned to avoid buying sanitisers with the Triclosan ingredient, as this antibacterial agent is believed to oppose the purpose of sanitisers and may even promote bacterial resistance.
Most importantly, do not create your own hand sanitisers. Instead, purchase them from trusted suppliers. If you are looking for premium hand sanitisers with a specific scent, we offer them with fragrance oils to keep your hands clean and fragrant.
Do Sanitisers Have Disadvantages?
Everything has its limitations. While sanitisers are good enough as an alternative to soap and water, they do not have enough disinfecting abilities. Hand sanitisers cannot fight against diarrhea-causing viruses and bacteria. Most sanitisers in the form of gel are also found to leave a sticky and uncomfortable feeling to users, so this is something for you to consider.
Conclusion
Now that you know that hand sanitisers are truly effective provided the proper ingredients, nothing still beats the power of proper handwashing using soap and water. Keep in mind that sanitisers are just helpful alternatives when primary prevention is not available.
But even after the pandemic ends, we should keep our habits of keeping our surroundings and our hands as clean as possible at all times.
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