Hand sanitizers are really handy. Especially when soap and running water aren't within reach But are they worth using more often, or should you try and avoid them all together?
Hand sanitizers contain ingredients like alcohol, which is often at 70% concentration,
that works to kill Microbes. When left on the skin [for] 30 seconds or longer, it's able to kill 99.9%
of Bacteria present and even certain types of viruses like influenza [a]
The sanitizer breaks open the cell membranes of these bacteria or the... envelopes of viruses, although they're ineffective against spore releasing Bacteria and viruses without envelopes.
There are also non-alcohol based sanitizers using other ingredients,
but depending on their combination may just be bacteriostatic Meaning they prevent bacterial reproduction.
Of course anyone who's used Sanitizer knows that it simply spreads grime and dirt around so soap and water are necessary in these cases to clean up, but in the absence of visible dirt which works better.
A 2009 Australian study had vaccinated hospital workers contaminate their hands with live Influenza [a] virus and had some of them wash their hands with regular soap and water for 40 seconds
followed by paper towel drying while some of their hands with 61.5% ethanol sanitizer for 20 seconds and others used a combination of alcohol and
