Comments on: Hand Sanitizer – Not Every Germ Killer is Equal

By: Tom Guzek

Tom Guzek — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 17:48:46 +0000

I would highly recommend that hand sanitizer users understand the myths of the effectiveness of the product they are using. Most people WRONGLY believe that a singel application of hand sanitizer will offer up to 1 hour of germ killing effectiveness. The fact is that a single application will kill germs on contact, however, once the alcohol evaporates, there is no germ killing effectiveness. The next item you touch will reinfect your hand with germs. You have to ask yourself what benefit that an instant hand sanitizer really provides. There is only one hand sanitizing product on the market that i have purchased that offers a long lasting germ killing effectiveness. According to their label, SkinWear offers up to 8 hours of protection with a single application. It is alcohol free and offers moisturizing and soil blocking features as well. Price is about equal to the standard alcohol based product. I strongly recommend this product. I have been using this for about 6 months and I absolutely love the way it feels and smells on my hands. Great product. Try it.

By: Mary Moran

Mary Moran — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 07:26:54 +0000

I have a safe, alcohol-free tip….my child came home from school saying they learned to cough and sneeze into their elbow with Germy Wormie, and I was totally taken aback. I always covered with my hands. But I went to the website and now I get it, hands touch, elbows don’t!! Kids can touch 300 surfaces in 1/2 hour and they hate to wash their hands. This is a simple thing that can make a huge difference. There is also an entertaining DVD that teaches them in a fun way the elbow cough, as well as other important hygiene habits.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 05:20:24 +0000

One that you might investigate is called Soapopular. It is an alcohol free foaming skin sanitizer that is made in Toronto and available locally from Shoppers Drug Mart. I have several pump bottles around my clinic for people to use. Because it is foaming it spreads easily between fingers and gets into the skin folds easily.

It does dry a bit more slowly than the alcohol based ones but well worth the wait to not have your skin dry out and crack with prolonged use. Another HUGE bonus is that it is completely scent free.

chris

By: Robin Rivers

Robin Rivers — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:59:39 +0000

What a great, lively discussion!

Thanks ladies for so many great tips and insight.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:27:43 +0000

I used to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer religiously when I lived in Vancouver and rode transit. But unreliable schedules and some truly disgusting occurrences while riding made me re-think my transportation method and I began riding my bicycle instead. This was a great decision on all counts, and I stopped buying hand sanitizer – soap and water were readily available at both ends of my ride.

Now I have my own store, and all the public contact that comes along with it, and a little one to think about during cold and flu season. He gets his hands wiped regularly while we’re at work (he comes with me) and I wash my hands a LOT (enough to create dry-skin problems). But old habits die hard, and I still want some kind of hand-sanitizer for my bag for situations without soap and water (like the grocery store).

I bought a bottle of Clean Well all-natural hand sanitizer at Edible Island, which is made of a blend of essential plant oils, kills 99.9% of germs, and is just as effective as the alcohol-based kind, without any of the toxic ingredients. One of the main ingredients is oil of thyme. It also does not contain Triclosan, a potential endocrine disruptor, leading to reproductive problems among others. It smells nice too, like citrus and thyme, and doesn’t have alcohol so that smell isn’t present.

I can’t honestly remember exactly how much the Clean Well cost, but it was around $5 (maybe closer to $10?). I’m usually pretty frugal, but since I don’t use it too often I don’t mind that it cost more – to me it’s worth it.

http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/#/handsanitizer/

By: Shawna

Shawna — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:44:27 +0000

I do like to use hand sanitizer when we use porta-potties etc but don’t feel entirely confortable with the store bought versions. I found a recipe on the Crafty Crow for a natural hand sanitizer that is aloe based and uses essential oils that have anti-bacterial etc. properties. I am going to give it a go.

By: Kelly

Kelly — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:34:39 +0000

Another safe and good option is Clean Well – site is http://www.cleanwelltoday.com/
Check it out.

By: Samantha

Samantha — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:31:56 +0000

They now sell new alcohol free hand sanitizers that are just as effective but are non toxic, non flammable and non drying to your skin. Check it out at http://www.sourcemp.com. I found it through my daycare center, it’s amazing!

By: Angeline

Angeline — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 20:41:08 +0000

We have heard that the government is looking to ban these babies. In the States a few years ago, there were reports of children dying from these. The chemicals in some sanitizers have also been shown to be in fairly high concentrations in breast milk. EW. I believe that there is a lot of research around how harmful these actually are. What happened to soap and water? Especially at school. The kids are encouraged to use hand sanitizer rather than actually go to a sink, and use soap and hot water. It frightens me because I know how much time kids spend with their hands in their mouths, up their noses and rubbing their eyes; and everytime they do this, they are ingesting alcohol and myriad other harmful chemicals. I don’t believe that we are keeping our kids healthy for the long term when we use these products.

By: Another Robin

Another Robin — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:44 +0000

I am a firm believer in the ‘dirt don’t hurt’ school of thinking. We sleep with windows open – even in winter – and keep the furnace as little used as possible. We wear layers – even to bed! We love flannelet and hot water bottles. We dig, and dig in, dirt. A lot. We don’t scrub our counters with bleach. We all had H1N1 flu shots.

That said, we have two sanitisers at home now – in the kitchen and the bathroom. These are used less than once per day. They are for the ‘direct hit’ sneeze, or the productive-cough hand, only. They are also psychologically reassuring for our more squeamish visitors. But I figure that, if we take yoghurt with active cultures, why am I trying to kill “99.9%” of germs? Some of those germ-guys are good for us.