Hand sanitizer gained popularity over the years because of its convenience and effectiveness. Drop a travel sized bottle into your bag or car and you can have clean hands any time. It seems like a no-brainer for most people who are out and about and want to keep their hands clean and free from bacteria and viruses.
But here is the surprising part. Hand sanitizer doesn’t always beat out hand washing and shouldn’t be used as a substitute. There is a lot of information out there about hand sanitizer that most people don’t know. In this article, we’ll cover everything you ever wanted to know about hand sanitizer. How effective it is at killing germs, how long it lasts, and all of its limitations.
What Makes Hand Sanitizer Effective
Alcohol is the key ingredient in hand sanitizer that makes it effective. Make sure that your hand sanitizer has at least 60-percent alcohol as recommended by the CDC. Alcohol has been known for its cleaning properties for a long time and is still one of the best disinfectants that is readily available to just about anyone.
While shopping for hand sanitizer, be sure to check the ingredient label on the bottle. Non-alcohol hand sanitizers or those that contain less than 60-percent may not kill both bacteria and viruses. Instead, they only reduce the growth of the germs or just won’t kill enough different kinds of germs to make it worth buying. Some are formulated to only kill bacteria, where others can kill both. Be diligent and do your research before buying!