HAND SANITIZATION: HOW, WHEN, AND WHY?

How beneficial are Hand Sanitizers?

Sanitizers have recently received quite the importance they deserve. Owing to Covid, one can now find a sanitizer bottle in every household, every desk and even every purse. While washing hands with cleanser water is the best way to get rid of germs, it isn’t continually a practical choice. In such cases, hand sanitizers that contain at least 60% alcohol are the most straightforward arrangement. As demonstrated by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the CDC, hand sanitizer may be the best instrument accessible to go without turning out to be sick and spreading germs in recent times.

EFFECTIVE USAGE OF HAND SANITIZERS:

For the sanitizers to work effectively, they must be applied properly.

If you want to reap maximum benefits from the sanitizer, the following approach needs to be taken:

• Right time: Don’t use sanitizers when your hands are covered in dirt, dust, grease, etc. Make sure that you apply sanitizers only when they’re free from any impurity over them.

• Right quantity: Make sure that you apply sanitizer all over your hand without leaving any part of your hand uncovered by the sanitizer, including your nails and the back part of your hand.
• The right way: Apply 3-4 drops of sanitizer over your hand and rub them thoroughly until it is completely evaporated.

Importance of Medical Handwashing

When we wash our hands in the right way using an adequate amount of soap and water or a medically proven germ-killing hand wash for at least a time duration of 15 seconds, creating lather by rubbing both our hands together, it kills all the germs or pathogenic microorganisms, thus, leaving germ free and clean hands, this is known as a medicated hand wash.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the following steps for medicated handwashing:

1. Wet hands with warm or cold running water. Running water is recommended because standing basins may be contaminated, while the temperature of the water does not seem to make a difference, however, some experts suggest warm water may be superior.
2. Lather hands by rubbing them with a generous amount of soap, including the back of hands, between fingers, and under nails. Soap lifts pathogens from the skin.
3. Scrub for at least 15 seconds. Scrubbing creates friction, which helps remove pathogens from the skin, and scrubbing for longer periods proves to be more effective.
4. Rinse well under running water.
5. Dry your hands with a clean towel or allow them to air dry. Moist hands are more prone to get recontaminated.

When should you use it?

Hand sanitizer	Soap and water
When water and soap are unavailable, make use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer or hand sanitizer spray that contains at least 60% alcohol Before and after visiting a patient in a hospital or touching public places or surfaces.	Before and after touching any filth and after using the toilet. After touching any greasy dirt or impurity.

Know which sanitizer is the best for you and buy the best hand sanitizer!

Which sanitizer works the best?

Research suggests that if you are using any hand sanitizer or hand sanitizer spray which contains less than 60% alcohol, then, these kinds of sanitizers may help in reducing the growth of germs, but won’t be able to help in killing those germs. Consequently, sanitizers that contain at least 60% of alcohol are recommended to kill pathogens.

What to look for on the label while buying a hand sanitizer?

While buying a hand sanitizer or a hand sanitizer spray, look for any one of these active ingredients on the label:

• Ethyl alcohol
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Benzalkonium chloride

Q & A for consumers: Everything you need to know about hand sanitizer and hand sanitizer spray.

• Is hand sanitizer flammable? 

Yes, hand sanitizers are flammable due to the presence of a high percentage of alcohol in them.

Make sure to rub the sanitizer properly in your hands until it has completely evaporated before you continue with any of your activities.

• Do hand sanitizers have an expiry date?

Drug products usually can be stored for at least 3 years. 

As for sanitizers, there are neither any dosage limitations nor any information regarding their effectiveness past their expiration date.

• Where should you store your hand sanitizer?

Hand sanitizers should be stored in a cold, dry place, i.e. at a temperature not exceeding 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

•    Hand sanitizers in Lucknow:

There are more than 100 hand sanitizer manufacturers in Lucknow.

• Pal Mask and Sanitizer Manufacturer
• Zenotis healthcare
• Vibhor chemical industries
• Eavan
• AAMR Lifesciences Pvt. Ltd.

The Covid-19 outbreak has given rise to the stage of a new gold rush of masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers.

These have now become a must-have pocket things for all of us, whether it is a kid or an adult.

So, it has become necessary to make sure to carry your sanitizers with yourselves for health and hygiene purposes. Let’s ensure this healthy living with sanitizers, the new normal.