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1. Use a large amount. More is better when using hand sanitizer.
2. Slather the sanitizer between fingers, on front and back of hands, up to your wrists.
3. Rub the sanitizer vigorously into your hands.
4. Rub sanitizer under your fingernails and beneath your rings.
5. Continue rubbing in the sanitizer until it dries. Do not wave your hands in the air to dry them.
Anywhere you see a bottle of sanitizer, take advantage of it. ATM touchpads have been touched by how many people, just today? Who else leaned against that fast food counter? Money? Ewww, when you think about it.
Actually, anytime you can choose to wash your hands with soap and water instead of using hand sanitizer, do so. Frequent use of hand sanitizer will dry out your hands, making the skin more likely to chap and infection to occur. Also, hand sanitizer kills off germs, it doesn’t wash them away. It also kills off the good bacteria on the surface of your hands. I keep a small bottle of a non-alcohol based hand sanitizer in my purse. We use it in the car, if we are going to eat something. I will also sometimes use it at church, after we have all greeted each other by shaking hands. In a store, use some of the regular hand sanitizer on a tissue and use that to wipe down a shopping cart handle, or a surface your children might be touching. Try to open doors by using a paper towel on the door knob if you are in a washroom, or put your hand in your sleeve and use that to grab the doorknob. Turn off lights with your elbow. Use your non-dominant hand to handle money, or paper receipts when shopping. That way if you happen to touch your face, your hand won’t be as contaminated. Wash your hands with soap and water whenever we are in a public washroom or if you are seating down to eat in a restaurant, use the time between ordering your food and it arriving at the table to wash your hands or when we come home.
Sorry. The last two sentences should read, “Wash your hands with soap and water whenever you are in a public washroom , or if you are sitting down to eat in a restaurant, use the time between ordering your food and it arriving at the table to wash your hands. We always wash our hands when we come home as well. “
Hand sanitizers are a good option. Good old soap and water is better with an appropriate lathering and rinsing of hands and wrists. I have placed food handlers’ disposable gloves in all our vehicles for using when pumping gas since reading a study that found human feces on the pump handle. Also carry gloves in my pocket if it becomes necessary to use a public restroom. These are used to open the main door, open and latch the stall door, clean the commode seat. A second glove for flushing, opening the stall door, turning on the water. And if necessary, another glove to open the main bathroom door. I also drill the family periodically about how to use gloves to make their changing environments safer. Maybe I’m paranoid, but as an RN with 30 plus years, it pays to develop safe habits.
In restaurants–the menus–I have seen very few restaurants clean menus. Oh sure, at night when closing, but not betwen servings.
everytime I use Purell or certin other hand sanitizers my allergies goes crazy. I’m a Custodian always wash hands with anti bacterial soap and using hand sanitizers. Are there any natural products to use? Ones at are better for you and your skin.
Also while your hands are wet from the sanitizer stay well away from an open flame.
I thought that over use of hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap is the reason superbugs have been getting out of control? Also curious about the effects of sanitizer soaking into kids skin?
When using hand sanitizer more is not always better. It just depends on what brand you are using and the formulation. Also, non alcohol hand sanitizer is not suggested for use as the active ingredients do not have a fast kill like alcohol does. The kill is too slow. This is the reason why the CDC only recommends an alcohol based hand sanitizer. I work for a hand sanitizer company and while we have both alcohol and non-alcohol based hand sanitizers we only suggest non-alcohol in areas like prisons and rehab facilities where there are serious concerns that people will try to drink it.
Lisa, this post about hand sanitizer is awesome. I wish every family would stock up on several bottles. good post, Linda
I rarely use hand sanitizer…have you looked at how nasty the pump gets when “open to the public”?? I’ll pass. Soap & water works just fine. Thanks for the rip above about gas pumps, never thought of that!
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