Important facts everyone should know about hand sanitiser

Important facts everyone should know about hand sanitiser
SHARE

Just over a year ago, very few of us would consider hand sanitiser to be an essential item. Or a product we should always have access to whilst out and about. Fast forward 12 months and the majority of us simply won’t leave home without it.

The popularity and personal use of hand sanitiser have accelerated recently, with luxury and 100% natural options such as Purdy & Figg hand sanitiser spray proving popular due to their mix of pharmaceutical-grade alcohol and pure essential oils. It’s these anti-bacterial properties that make hand sanitiser part of our daily defence against germs, bacteria and viruses like coronavirus.

While most of us are familiar with placing a small bottle of hand sanitiser in our bags as we leave the house, using the gel offered in the supermarket and waving our hands in the air as we encourage it to dry faster, we’re not entirely knowledgeable when it comes to the product itself.

Here we’ll explore some important facts everyone should know about hand sanitiser.

Hand sanitiser doesn’t clean your hands

Before you worry about being exposed to an infection or a virus, don’t panic! While it’s been proven that hand sanitiser does in fact kill germs and viruses such as coronavirus, E. Coli and salmonella, it doesn’t actually clean your hands, at least not the same way that soap and water would do. When you wash your hands with soap and water, you’re not just killing germs, you’re washing them away effectively and breaking down the bacteria with the right hand washing technique.

While hand sanitiser does kill germs, the most effective way to keep your hands clean and germ-free is to use soap and water.

You need to use the right technique

Squirting a little gel onto your hands and rubbing them together minimises the effect of the alcohol gel, and won’t kill the microbes on your skill if you’re not using the right technique. For your hand sanitiser to work correctly, you need to spread the gel around your hands just like you would if you were washing your hands. Following the package instructions, you should apply the suggested amount to your hands, and rub the gel through your hands until they are dry. Avoiding the hand waving technique!

In most scenarios, it’s the best option

We all know that while hand sanitiser is great for killing germs, washing our hands with soap and water is always better. However, there are some circumstances were reaching for that hand sanitiser, simply makes sense especially in terms of reducing the spread of infection and protecting those around you. Whether you’re visiting relatives in hospital or in nursing homes, or you’re getting on and off public transport or you’re spending time with people with weakened immune systems, having a bottle of hand sanitiser available ensures everyone can do their bit to prevent the spread of disease and protect those we love the most.

Final thoughts…

Remember, it’s always a good idea to keep a good supply of hand sanitiser at home and brush up on your sanitising technique.


SHARE

Anna is an avid blogger with an educational background in medicine and mental health. She is a generalist with many other interests including nutrition, women's health, astronomy and photography. In her free time from work and writing, Anna enjoys nature walks, reading, and listening to jazz and classical music.

Post Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.