“Is hand sanitizer really effective in killing germs?”
I have a small baby at home and we keep using hand sanitizer. I have heard that it isn't really that effective. Is sanitizer really helpful in killing germs?
2 Answers
Hand sanitizers may contain alcohol and some do not contain alcohol. I think the best hand sanitizer is foam-based. This is supposed to kill bacteria and its effect may last 2-3 hours.
Some hand sanitizers are quite effective - these are the ones that are at least 80% denatured ethanol. The general rule is to wash your hands with soap and water if there is any visible dirt or grime on them, dry with paper and apply an alchohol hand sanitzer. If there is no dirt or grime, one can safely make do with the sanitizer. Proper use of the sanitizer is to apply a good portion and keep rubbing it in a hand washing pattern until the alkohol is evaporated.
