You might be using hand sanitizer wrong, ways to use it correctly:
Since there are no signs of coronavirus taking a back seat, the cases in India are increasing exponentially. It is time that we take all the precautions and measures to protect ourselves from Covid-19 infection. While we all are using sanitizers for a long time now, are you using it correctly? Here is how to use it in the right manner.
CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water whenever possible because hand washing removes germs and chemicals on hands. Soaps are more effective than hand sanitizers/ in case soap and water are not available, use of sanitizer is recommended.
- Choosing the right sanitizer
Hand sanitizers with 60-95% alcohol concentration are more effective in killing germs. So use the ones with high alcohol content. Hand sanitizers without 60-95% alcohol may not work equally well for many types of germ.
- How to apply sanitizer
When you are using hand sanitizer, pour some of it on the palm of one hand and rub the product all over the surface until your hands are dry. Do not wipe it before it has dried. Sanitizers take about 30 seconds to kill germs and bacteria.
- Using sanitizer on dirty hands
Hand sanitizers work well in places like hospitals where hands come in contact with germs but generally are not greasy. Some data also show that hand sanitizers may not work well against certain types of germs on slightly soiled hands. They are also not effective when hands are heavily soiled or greasy. In such cases, we recommend hand washing.
- Harmful chemicals, like pesticides
Few studies have claimed that hand sanitizers probably cannot remove or inactivate many types of harmful chemicals. hand sanitizers do not work well on hands that have pesticides in their bodies. If you touched harmful chemicals, wash hands with soap.
Waterless hand sanitizer provides several advantages over handwashing with soap and water. However, they are not as effective as soaps. Sanitizers act quickly to kill microorganisms on hands, reduce bacterial counts on hands, and are less irritating to the skin than soap and water.
Stay safe, keep cleaning your hands!
