In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the government has mandated that all businesses provide hand sanitizer at the door, and many people will bring their own bottle of alcohol-based hand sanitizer with them when they go out, and when they come into contact with public facilities, they will disinfect with it.
However, you will rub for a few seconds each time you apply alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Many people just rub their hands for a few seconds, and this condition may lead to the alcohol-based hand sanitizer not being able to completely eliminate viral effectiveness.
A Japanese study found that after 15 seconds of interaction with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, all altered strains were fully inactive. As a result, researchers strongly advise people to continue using hand sanitizing in accordance with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to maintain hand hygiene and avoid illness.
To clean hands efficiently, at least 2 to 3 ml of alcohol-based dry hand sanitizer are required, and it takes around 20 to 30 seconds to rub dry. Thus, the length of time spent rubbing dry can also be used to determine whether the amount of alcohol used is sufficient. When used properly, an alcohol-based dry hand sanitizer may kill a lot of bacteria while also cleaning your hands.
The concentration of ethanol determines the effectiveness of alcohol-based hand sanitizers. To be efficient in killing 99.99% of bacteria, the ethanol level should be at least 60%. According to studies, ethanol solutions with concentrations higher than 60% are only effective in killing; doses of 75% to 80% will kill most bacteria and enveloped viruses. Higher amounts of ethanol can disturb the structural “order” of the membrane, compromising the function of the membrane and resulting in the death of the “membranous” bacteria.
So, the next time you use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, make sure you completely cover your palms and fingers and rub your hands for at least a dozen seconds, not just a few meaningful rubs to do the job.
