Hand sanitizers have become part of modern life. Dispensers now line the walls of schools and public buildings. Small bottles of gel fill car consoles and purses. But do hand sanitizers work as effectively as soap and water? Which hand sanitizers are the best at killing germs?
Alcohol Based
Alcohol based gels make up the bulk of the hand sanitizer market. According to a Nielsen report, sales of hand sanitizers increased 70 percent in 2009 over the previous year, prompted in part by fear of H1N1 virus. Alcohol based hand sanitizers come with an important caveat: they must contain no less than 60 percent alcohol to disinfect. Any less alcohol and germs are not killed, according to the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC. If hands are truly soiled, you should wash first with soap and water, and then apply alcohol sanitizer. People with dry or cracked skin know that alcohol cleaners really sting open cuts, but the addition of moisturizers by most manufacturers have made alcohol gels less drying to the skin than regular soap and water. Alcohol is flammable and should not be used near a source of flame. Further problems can arise when alcohol is ingested by those with substance abuse problems.
BAC Based
Benzalkonium chloride, or BAC, is a potent germicide. When combined with a moistened towelette, it becomes an effective hand sanitizer. However, according to the CDC, BAC wipes are "less effective than decontaminating hands with an alcohol-based hand rub." Because the towelette removes dirt, these hand sanitizers work better than alcohol when hands are soiled, and continue to kill germs with a residual effect. They are found in dispensers at grocery stores for wiping shopping cart handles and, as further indication of their efficacy, are often found in medical offices, where they are used to sterilize injection sites. The CDC has warned against using BAC specifically as potentially creating drug-resistant bacteria.
Other Sanitizers
Germicidal agents used in hand sanitizers include: triclosan, hexachlorophene, quaternary ammonium compounds, povidone-iodine or chlorhexidine gluconate and others. While effective enough to be used by surgeons to scrub before operating, these agents are a tiny portion of the hand sanitizer market, and not universally available like alcohol gels. These chemical germicidal agents may be found in bar form, liquid or towelette. In the end, the sanitizer that works the best is the one that you use. For that reason, along with its proven record and low cost, alcohol based sanitizers work the best.
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