Waterless hand sanitizers typically include alcohol as a primary ingredient for sterilizing germs and bacteria on contact. They are a convenient way to clean your hands when soap and water are not nearby. Because of this, waterless hand sanitizers are common items in facilities where hand cleanliness is critical to the environment, and many people carry small bottles of hand sanitizing gels with them for personal use.
Personal Use
One of the most widespread uses of waterless hand sanitizers is as a personal item for cleaning hands. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, use of hand sanitizers increased after the H1N1 flu outbreak as a means to protect against contraction of the illness. Waterless hand sanitizers are easy to carry in public when you come in contact with things frequently touched by others. These objects, such as door knobs and cash, can carry germs that spread illness. Using a hand sanitizer after exposure can decrease your chances of contracting an illness.
Healthcare Use
Healthcare environments require that doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners frequently sterilize their hands after contact with patients. While hand washing with soap and water is an effective way to do this, it is also time consuming and not convenient in some settings. The Centers for Disease Control issued a 2002 recommendation to healthcare practitioners that they use waterless hand sanitizers. This makes it easier to sterilize the hands between consultations so illness does not spread from one patient to another.
Food Industry Use
People who work in the food industry often directly interact with food that will be ingested later by other individuals. This makes germ control vital to ensure that bacterial illnesses are not spread in a restaurant setting, for example. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends the use of waterless sanitizers by food workers. However, the FDA clarifies that these sanitizers are not a substitute for soap and water, which are still an employee requirement in most restaurant settings. Additionally, only certain FDA-approved hand sanitizers are eligible for use in the food industry, since the ingredients from the sanitizer may also transmit to the food.
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