Extension Report

Baldwin County Extension Office

302A Byrne Street

Bay Minette, AL  36507

Telephone (251) 937-7176 or

928-0860/943-5061 ext. 2222

FAX (251) 937-7285

Amelia McGrew

Regional Extension Agent

Food Safety, Preparation & Preservation

May 11, 2010

HAND SANITIZERS ARE EVERYWHERE

We see them everywhere – hotels, grocery stores, restaurants, and classrooms. Waterless hand sanitizers are being used now more than ever because of their effectiveness at killing germs and bacteria. These types of sanitizers work by stripping away the outer layer of oil on the skin, which destroys the microorganisms present on the surface of the hands. These sanitizers also slow the re-growth of bacteria. 

To keep yourself and your family healthy, it's important to clean your hands, especially after you've used the restroom or before you prepare food. Vigorously washing your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds is still the most reliable means of preventing the spread of illness. These alcohol-based hand sanitizers provide a convenient alternative when soap and water are not available. 

Here are a few tips we can all use on how to use these types of sanitizers.

• A hand sanitizer should only be used when hand washing is not an option. Simply put, you should favor the process of scrubbing your hands with soap and water. Although it is quite convenient, hand sanitizers cannot get rid of grime and dirt as effectively as using a cleansing soap under a running tap. There are also several products such as oil or grease that cannot be removed as well with sanitizers alone. Additionally, using too much of this product and not enough clean water and moisturizing soap everyday can cause the skin to age faster and more susceptible to all manner of skin ailments.  In essence, these sanitizers work well in conjunction with simple hand washing.
• Use only a dime sized amount whenever you use this product. A good hand sanitizer dispenser can tap, squeeze or spray forth this amount in one single stroke. The danger is when you have developed the habit of tapping or spraying several times over, or when you squeeze the bottle too much that you end up with a cupped-handful of the liquid in your hand. You must remember that this is a concentrated alcohol-based product. It must evaporate quickly in order to work. If you use too much, the alcohol does not evaporate; but rather, it penetrates deeply into your skin. In some cases, this causes epidermal reddening and even burning sensations.
• Again, there is this need for this product to evaporate quickly. Aside from other antibacterial and chemical ingredients, many hand sanitizer products contain about 60% to 90% concentrated alcohol. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommends using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with a concentration of 60% or higher to be effective against common disease agents. 
• Lastly, make sure that you keep these sanitizers out of the reach of very young children who could put the sanitizer in their mouth before their hands have had the chance to dry.  In order to ensure that you and your children are not in danger of poisoning, it would be best to use only a small amount of hand sanitizer, rub the liquid in to remove most of the bacteria, and then let your hands dry for 30 seconds to 1 minute before touching food or drinks.

Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, www.cdc.gov.  Various web exchanges were also used.

To request additional information about food safety or hand washing, please contact, Amelia McGrew at 251-574-8445 or Email at mcgreaj@aces.edu

Email address: mcgreaj@aces.edu

Phone number: (251) 574-8445

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M and Auburn Universities) in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity educator and employer.