How well does hand sanitizer's work?

Answer 1

kills about 98 - 99% of the bacteria. But The bacteria left have a resistance to the sanitizer and will not die from it. These bacteria multiply and pass on this resistance. Therefore you are left with a whole bunch of bacteria that cannot be killed by the sanitizer and are more harmful then before. So basically hand sanitizers are fine to use when you cant simply wash them but they should def not be used as a substitute.

Answer 2

Diligent use of hand-sanitizing gels may help stop the spread of germs and illness among families with small children.

A new study shows that families who used alcohol-based gels had a 59% lower rate of gastrointestinal illnesses (GI) caused by germs spread from one family member to another. Gastrointestinal illnesses cause symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.

In the study, some families were randomly assigned to use alcohol-based gels and were provided with hand-hygiene educational materials. The comparison group only received the educational materials.

"This is the first randomized trial to show that hand sanitizer reduces the spread of germs in the home," says researcher Thomas J. Sandora, MD, of Children's Hospital Boston, in a news release.

The study did not show a significant decrease in the number of respiratory infections in families that used the alcohol-based gels.

"We think that's probably because people were more diligent about using the sanitizer after a GI-related incident, such as using the bathroom or vomiting, than after a respiratory incident, such as nose-wiping or sneezing," says Sandora.

Hand Sanitizers Fight Stomach Bugs

In the study, researchers recruited nearly 300 families who were not already using hand sanitizers. Each family had at least one child aged 6 months to 5 years enrolled in day care.

Half of the families were randomly given hand sanitizer and educational materials on hand hygiene. They were told to put bottles of the gel around the house, such as in the bathroom, kitchen, and baby's room, and to use the hand sanitizer after using the toilet, before preparing food, and after diaper changes.

The comparison families received only nutritional information and were told not to use a hand sanitizer.

Researchers followed the families for five months and tracked rates of hand washing, use of hand sanitizers, and whether anyone in the household had developed a respiratory or GI infection and if the illness had spread within the family.

The results, which appear in the current issue of Pediatrics, show that both groups of families reported similar rates of hand washing.

But the families given hand sanitizer had a 59% lower rate of gastrointestinal illness spread from one family member to another. This held true even after adjusting for other factors that increase the spread of such infections, such as the number of young children in the household.

The rates of respiratory illness were similar in both families.

Answer 3

In the hospital the rule is you can use them up to 3 times consequetely (if your hands aren't visibly soiled) and then you need to use soap and warm water.

Answer 4

These things usually require you leave them on your hands for a few mintues before they actually kill anything.