by James Fraksburg
Hand sanitizer is a replacement product for soap that more and more people are starting to use. It is an antiseptic that comes in many forms. It could be a soap-like product, a liquid, a gel, or a foam. It is sold in many different types of bottles by all the major hygiene companies. It has alcohol in it, which is the primary ingredient in the killing of germs. It is speculated that it may kill even more germs than using just soap and water.
The reason why this product has become as popular as it has is due to its sheer convenience. There are many times when you are in an unsanitary area but do not have access to a sink and water. This will quickly an easily sterilize your hands. Some people will not leave the house without it, growing ever more addicted to being clean at all times.
Sanitizers have become very useful in the work place. It can be faster than washing one’s hands in quickly-paced industries. It can also be made mandatory for all employees to partake in whenever they open the door or touch the time clock. By doing this, colds are less easily spread if hands are frequently cleansed. This means that employees will not get as sick and production will not decrease due to personal days.
Sanitizers come with certain stigmas and complications, though. There are a few groups who are radically against using them. Two main reasons are the cause for any unrest. The first reason is that many people think soap and hot water can do the job just fine, if not better. It, at times, does do the job better–but this is because many people often do not use sanitizer correctly.
Some people put just a little bit on their hands and rub their palms together. This does not do very much for your hand as a whole. Germs still reside. People argue for water and soap because it forces your entire hands to get clean and the hotness of the water can kill germs well. What you must do for the sanitizer is to put a lot on your hands and to rub it everywhere–in between your fingers, on the back of your hands, even getting it around your fingernails as much as you can.
The second reason for resistence to sanitizers is due to their effectiveness. Many boast being able to kill 99.9 percent of germs. This is true, due to the anti-bacterial part of it. Studies have shown that you actually need bacteria in order to be healthy. Having regular, light contact with bacteria builds up your immune system against it. If you kill them all off, you immune system will not be used to them when it finally comes in contact again.
You also have to worry about the . 01 percent of germs that remains alive after you tried to kill it. It may not seem like they can do much, but by surviving the anti-bacterial soap, they have built a resistance to it and have become stronger. There has been a great media fear about creating super-bacteria which are almost impossible to kill. The best thing to do, therefore, is not to abuse sanitizer. Use hot water and soap whenever you can and use sanitizer only for inconvenient times.
You can even enjoy the benefits of combination sanitizers and lotions. Many body and beauty companies have realized that there is not point in making sanitizers and lotions separate. By combining them, you can be clean and work on creating smooth skin at the same time.
Germs spread easily and that is why we teach our children to use hand sanitizer. Hand cleaner is important to both adults and children and best of all, it does not cost that much.