Things to know about hand sanitizers | Fusion - WeRIndia

Before the prevalence of COVID-19, hand sanitizers were used only by a few people. But, now they became part of the lives of the people.

Hand sanitizers are manufactured to clean hands when soap and water are not available. They contain gel and alcohol to kill germs and microbes and protect from infections.

Though several people are using hand sanitizers now, they do not know some important things about them.

Here are some important things to know about hand sanitizers:

• Though hand sanitizers are used as an alternative to soap and water for handwashing, they are not as effective as handwashing. So, prefer washing hands with soap and minimize the use of hand sanitizer only if you are outside or do not have access to soap and water.
• You need enough amount of hand sanitizer for proper cleaning of your hands. Rub it on your palms and over entire hands. If you use enough amount of hand sanitizer, it lasts for 15 seconds to clean your hands. But if it evaporates in less than 15 seconds, it means that you do not use enough amount of it.
• Two types of hand sanitizers are available – alcohol-based hand sanitizers and alcohol-free hand sanitizers. You have to use alcohol-based hand sanitizers to prevent coronavirus infection. In these sanitizers, 60 to 95 per cent of alcohol exist to kill microorganisms.
• However, alcohol can make your skin dry. So, use moisturizers to keep your skin soft.
• Alcohol-free hand sanitizers contain disinfectants like triclosan, benzalkonium chloride etc. These sanitizers cannot protect you from the infection of the novel coronavirus. Moreover, triclosan is an antibacterial agent which is used in pesticides. If you overuse it, it can be absorbed by your skin and interfere with your thyroid function.
• Hand sanitizer does not clean dirt on your hands. Moreover, it is not safe for children below five years. Accidental consumption of sanitizer can lead to abdominal problems and require immediate medical treatment. Inhalation may cause breathing problems and entry of sanitizer into the eyes may irritate the eyes. Hence, store them away from children and out of their reach.

Image by Ri Butov from Pixabay (Free for commercial use)

Image Reference: https://pixabay.com/photos/hand-sanitizer-hand-disinfection-4954686/