How Does Purell Hand Sanitizer Work?

Alcohol Content

Purell hand sanitizer contains 65 percent alcohol, according to purell.com. This ingredient is vital in destroying germs, as alcohol destroys protein in germ cell walls. Once these cell walls are broken, the germs cease to exist. Although there are other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol, purell.com reports that alcohol is the most effective and safe way to kill germs during times when you do not have access to soap and water.

Usage

Although alcohol helps destroy harmful germs, Purell hand sanitizer is not effective unless it is used properly. Apply about a quarter-sized amount, or just enough so that your entire hands are wet. Briskly rub your hands together until the entire product evaporates and your skin is completely dry. Do not rinse your hands after applying Purell. Hand sanitizers like Purell kill germs and promote hand hygiene, but should not replace hand-washing, advises brands2liveby.com. Wash your hands as often as you can. Hand sanitizers like Purell should not be used when your hands are dirty, as they do not remove dirt.
Purell is designed to be used as often as you like. According to brands2liveby.com, Purell kills germs until it evaporates off of your skin. If you are concerned that you have come into contact with harmful germs after using the product, it is safe to apply Purell to your hands again. You can even use Purell after washing your hands.

Effects

Purell is touted as a convenient way to kill germs between hand-washings. According to brands2liveby.com, Purell destroys 99.99 percent of germs. Although Purell does not prevent the H1N1 virus, purell.com states that the product is an effective mechanism for good hygiene to help protect you against such viruses.
Brands2liveby.com reports that approximately 80 percent of diseases are spread by hands, making hand sanitizers a tool to aid in the prevention of disease. As the usage of hand sanitizers like Purell becomes more prevalent, so do concerns over long-term side effects. It is thought that regular usage of hand sanitizers may kill good bacteria and make you more resistant to harmful germs. Although the company admits that good bacteria may be destroyed during the process, there is no evidence that the product makes you less resistant to harmful ones. This is due to the fact that the alcohol contained in Purell evaporates within 20 seconds, according to brands2liveby.com. Once the product evaporates, there is nothing left to restrict the formation of good bacteria on your hands. Brands2liveby.com points out that good bacteria are also killed during regular hand-washing with basic soap and water.

References

Article reviewed by WCB Last updated on: Jan 5, 2010

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