| In the mid 19th century, hand washing with soap | | | | busy life styles unable to visit restrooms |
| became recognized as a major contributor to | | | | frequently to use soap and water, the quick hand |
| preventing the spread of diseases. Unfortunately, | | | | sanitizing gel is the answer. Hand sanitizer products |
| only 32% of men and 64% of women wash their | | | | do not remove the dirt, but they kill viruses and |
| hands with soap. This article discusses the use of | | | | bacteria on the hands. |
| hand soap, hand sanitizer and hand gloves to | | | | To be effective in killing viruses and bacteria, hand |
| improve people's health by controlling the spread | | | | sanitizer products should contain 60% or more |
| of viruses and bacteria. | | | | alcohol. These products come in squeeze bottles, |
| Washing with hand soap - Hand soap is available in | | | | pump bottles, and wipes that can be easily carried. |
| both plain and antibacterial formulations. Hand soap | | | | Many public facilities have installed dispensers for |
| also comes in bar and liquid configurations. | | | | hand sanitizer, and many companies provide free |
| Plain soap products - These products are generally | | | | personal size hand sanitizer products to their |
| a formulation of natural soap and various other | | | | employees. |
| secondary ingredients. | | | | These hand sanitizing products are designed to |
| - The secondary ingredients include moisturizers, | | | | use frequently. The hands should not be wet |
| fragrances, and/or other properties advertized by | | | | when a person applies a hand sanitizer. The |
| the brand such as floatation. Finding 100% natural | | | | following partial list includes typical applications for |
| plain hand soap with no secondary ingredients is | | | | the use of hand sanitizer: |
| impossible unless it is homemade. | | | | - Before preparing or eating food |
| - Plain hand soap works by separating most | | | | - After blowing nose, coughing, or sneezing in |
| contaminants from the skin so that they can be | | | | hands |
| washed away by water. The plain soap does not | | | | - Before and after treating cuts and scrapes on |
| contain any antibacterial chemicals. | | | | the skin |
| - Finding plain hand soap in the form of liquid soap | | | | - Before installing contact lenses |
| is very difficult since most liquid soap products are | | | | - After touching something known to contain |
| formulated as antibacterial soap. Antibacterial soap | | | | viruses or bacteria (e.g. a sick person or garbage). |
| products - Antibacterial soap works similar to plain | | | | - After using the restroom if a proper hand |
| soap and it also kills bacteria on contact. The | | | | washing was not available |
| merit of using antibacterial soap is still the subject | | | | Since the alcohol in hand sanitizer dry the skin, the |
| of much controversy for the following reasons: | | | | use of skin moisturizer is also recommended. |
| - If plain soap is used for 20 seconds or more to | | | | Caution: Moist hands attract germs more than dry |
| do a good job of cleaning hands, all viruses and | | | | hands. |
| bacteria will be washed away with the water. | | | | Protecting hands with gloves - The use of hand |
| - A chemical named Triclosan is added in small | | | | protection in the form of gloves became very |
| quantities to these antibacterial soap products to | | | | prominent in the 1980's because of HIV. Dentist |
| kill bacteria on the skin. Some people fear that | | | | and doctors have increased the use of gloves |
| many of the common bacteria are becoming | | | | significantly as well as food service workers and |
| more tolerant to Triclosan because of its overuse. | | | | others. When the protection involves blood, urine, |
| In addition, Triclosan is known to be an endocrine | | | | saliva, etc., EXAM (medical grade) gloves must be |
| disruptor and reacts with the chlorine in tap water | | | | used. For all other uses, non-EXAM gloves can be |
| generating chloroform. These concerns have led | | | | used. A light powder is sometimes used to make |
| some countries to consider phasing out the use of | | | | it easier to slide in and out of the gloves. Latex |
| Triclosan. | | | | and non-latex gloves are the two major choices. |
| - Triclosan has little or no effect on viruses that | | | | Latex gloves - Although latex cloves are by far |
| cause the common cold and seasonal flu. It only | | | | the most common in use because they are the |
| works on bacteria. | | | | most comfortable to wear, frequent users often |
| Bar vs. liquid soap - While the choice between bar | | | | develop allergies to the natural protein in latex. |
| soap and liquid soap is a matter of preference | | | | The quality (defect rate) of latex gloves is also |
| when soap is used in the household, most public | | | | much better than the alternatives. |
| facilities use liquid soap. In addition to the | | | | Non-latex gloves - Synthetic rubber (Nitrile or |
| formulation differences described previously, the | | | | Neoprene) gloves are much more tolerable for |
| recommended method for using bar vs. liquid soap | | | | people who are allergic or sensitive to Latex. |
| differs as follows: | | | | - Synthetic rubber gloves are the best alternative |
| - With bar soap, the hands should be wet first | | | | to latex, but in some cases they can also lead to |
| before applying the soap and then rinsed | | | | issues with allergies. Synthetic rubber gloves often |
| thoroughly with water. | | | | cost more. The least expensive synthetic rubber |
| - With liquid soap, it is recommended to rub the | | | | gloves often have greater defect rates. |
| hands with liquid soap first allowing the antibacterial | | | | - Vinyl gloves - Vinyl gloves have become very |
| function to work and then rinse thoroughly with | | | | popular for food service applications because they |
| water. This process avoids rinsing most the liquid | | | | have few or no issues with allergies. Vinyl gloves |
| soap down the drain. | | | | do not stretch or allow the skin to breathe. Since |
| In general, buying antibacterial hand soap is a | | | | they are the worst fitting, they are used in |
| waste of money as long as hands are properly | | | | applications where the gloves will be removed and |
| washed for 20 seconds or longer. Since few | | | | thrown away frequently. |
| people actually wash their hands properly, | | | | When removing gloves worn for protection, |
| antibacterial soap is of some value. This is | | | | people must be careful not to contaminate their |
| especially true for people working around raw | | | | skin. The gloves should be rolled off the hands so |
| meats or in hospitals where dangerous bacteria | | | | that only the inside surface of the glove will come |
| are very likely to exist. | | | | in contact with the other hand. |
| Disinfecting with hand sanitizer - For people with | | | | |