The effectiveness of hand sanitizer depends on multiple factors, including the manner in which the product is applied (e.g., quantity used, duration of exposure, frequency of use) and whether the specific infectious agents present on the person’s hands are susceptible to the active ingredient in the product. In general, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, if rubbed thoroughly over finger and hand surfaces for a period of 30 seconds, followed by complete air-drying, can effectively reduce populations of bacteria, fungi, and some enveloped viruses (e.g., influenza A viruses). Similar effects have been reported for certain alcohol-free formulations, such as SAB (surfactant, allantoin, and BAC) hand sanitizer. Most hand sanitizers, however, are relatively ineffective against bacterial spores, nonenveloped viruses (e.g., norovirus), and encysted parasites (e.g., Giardia). They also do not fully cleanse or sanitize the skin when hands are noticeably soiled prior to application.
Despite the variability in effectiveness, hand sanitizers can help control the transmission of infectious diseases, especially in settings where compliance with hand washing is poor.
Quickly smearing an ethanol-based hand sanitizer doesn’t kill cold and flu bugs. This is because fingers are still wet with mucus. Additionally, many studies have found that hand sanitizers with an alcohol concentration of 60% are effective at killing germs than those with a lower alcohol concentration or non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers. Those hand sanitizers may merely reduce the growth of germs rather than kill them outright. Washing your hands the traditional way is far superior to using hand sanitizer. Soap lifts dirt, germs and oil off grimy hands to give you a better, overall cleansing.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests tips on washing hands the right way:
• Wet hands with clean running water and apply soap to a lather
• Scrub all surfaces: palms, backs, fingers, between fingers, under nails
• Scrub for 20 seconds (that's the time it takes to sing 'Happy Birthday" twice)
• Rinse under clean, running water, dry hands with clean towel or air dry.
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