4 Things to Know about a Hand Sanitizer.
Hand Sanitizers is a liquid, gel or foam generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands. Hand sanitizer is less effective at killing certain kinds of germs, such as norovirus and clostridium difficile and unlike soap and water. It cannot remove harmful chemicals.
People my incorrectly wipe of hand sanitize before it has dried, and some are less effective because of their alcohol concentrations are low.
2-Types of Hand Sanitizers:
There are two main types of hand sanitizers: alcohol-based and alcohol-free.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizers contain varying amounts and types of alcohol, often between 60% and 95% and usually isopropyl alcohol, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or n-propanol. Alcohol is known to be able to kill most germs.
Alcohol-based hand sanitizer works against a wide variety of microorganisms but not spores. Compound such as glycerol may be added to prevent drying of skin.
Alcohol-free hand sanitizers contain something called quaternary ammonium compounds (usually benzalkonium chloride) instead of alcohol. These can reduce microbes but are less effective than alcohol.
Not only are alcohol-based hand sanitizers found to be effective at killing many types of bacteria, including MRSA and E coli, they’re also effective against many viruses, including the influenza A virus, rhinovirus, hepatitis A virus, HIV, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV).
3.Why is alcohol the main ingredient in most hand sanitizers?
Alcohol is effective at killing different types of microbes, including both viruses and bacteria, because it unfolds and inactivates their proteins.
This process, which is called denaturation, will cripple and often kill the microbe because its proteins will unfold and stick together. Heat can also denature some proteins — for example, when you cook an egg, the solidified egg whites are denatured proteins.
Skin:
Research shows that alcohol hand sanitizers do not pose any risk by eliminating beneficial microorganisms that are naturally present on the skin. The body quickly replenished the beneficial microbes on the hand, often moving them in from just up the arms where there are fewer harmful microorganisms.
However, alcohol may strip the skin of the outer layer of oil, which may have negative effects on barrier function of the skin. A study shows that disinfecting hands with antimicrobial detergent results in a greater barrier disruption of skin compared to alcohol solutions, suggesting an increased loss of skin lipids.