How to Use Hand Sanitizer Correctly
In the age of a global pandemic, public health agencies have advised us to upgrade our cleaning habits. Nothing short of keeping our hands as clean as possible is recommended. The main technique to keep our hands clean comes in the form of washing our hands with soap and water. Like your parents always used to tell you, wash as thoroughly as possible!
Of course, soap and water stations are not universal, nor are they as mobile as we’d prefer them to be. As a result, the next best thing to use for keeping our hands clean is hand sanitizer. However, applying the sanitizer to our hands is much more methodical than you’d think.
Follow this guide on how to use hand sanitizer correctly:
Why use hand sanitizer?
Sanitizer is our best technique to eliminate bacteria from our hands, when soap and water are not available. Public health agencies are always recommending us to wash those hands with soap and warm water, whenever possible.
When it comes down to it, hand sanitizer will inevitably have to be applied. It is also recommended to use it after washing your hands, as it provides your hands with an extra layer of protection. If a handwashing station is available though, make sure you take advantage of it!
When to use hand sanitizer
Unless your hands have been covered by noticeable dirt, hand sanitizer will work as it is intended to. When that is not the case, do not use it. The alcohol content will not work as intended, should your hands be covered in visible grime.
Organic matter blocks the effectiveness of hand sanitizer, when trying to kill the microbes on your hands. After you have properly washed your hands with soap and warm water, add some hand sanitizer! The main point here is to apply the product whenever you are unsure about cleanliness.
Types of hand sanitizer to use
Not all sanitizers were built the same. So, to properly keep your hands clean, make sure you get one with the correct ingredients. In most cases, the best sanitizer to use is the one that includes isopropyl alcohol.
Isopropyl alcohol is important since it dissolves the protective layers of microbes. These layers are the source of most germs, which, in turn, could lead to viruses. When shopping for your own sanitizer, always make sure this ingredient is contained within.
How much hand sanitizer to use?
Most health agencies recommend using sanitizers with at least sixty per cent of isopropyl alcohol. Other products on the market may contain higher amounts, but that may not necessarily make it better.
Your hand sanitizer should have the aforementioned sixty per cent, along with water. This will ensure a successful cleaning, once you apply the sanitizer. For your own benefit, it is key to use a sanitizer with a respectable amount of alcohol content. Since some products contain too little or none at all, always be on the lookout for this key number!
If you are ordering hand sanitizer for a large business or organization, it is possible to buy the hand sanitizer in bulk amounts. This is an efficient way to ensure your company is stocked with enough hand sanitizer products, which ensures your workplace is hygiene-ready at all times.
How to apply the hand sanitizer
In order to kickstart the sanitizing process, place a decent amount onto the palm of one hand. If you are wondering what amounts to decent, check the manufacturer’s directions on the back. Here, you will generally be given a good indication as to how much is needed.
Rub both hands together, in order to cover all parts of your hands with the sanitizer. Ensure that you rub between your fingers, as well as right into your fingernails. After your skin is dry, you can stop the rubbing motion entirely.
How long to apply the hand sanitizer
Most of us may think that thoroughly rubbing our hands together with hand sanitizer will result in success. To properly figure out whether or not you have done a good job, time the technique. All parts of the process, including the rubbing of your hands with the sanitizer, must equate to thirty seconds. Your hands need to absorb the product as much as possible.
For fun’s sake, count to thirty in your head while humming a favourite tune. The process could go by quicker, once both of these actions are done simultaneously. It is key to thoroughly clean all parts of your hands, while keeping track of the time!
Post-sanitizing process
Always make sure that your hands are thoroughly dried, before you touch a foreign surface. Placing your improperly dried hands on something could potentially endanger others. That is why the sanitizing process must be done properly. Take all of these factors into account, and you will protect yourself, as well as others!
Washing our hands with warm water and soap will never go out of style. What happens, however, when it isn’t available? The ubiquitous nature of hand sanitizer solves these issues outright, allowing our hands to remain germ-free. Just ensure that you apply the sanitizer correctly, in order for it to work!
