Winter time always seems to bring on colds and flu. Around this time, I am always looking for that bottle hand sanitizer to use after I have been in a public place or touched a water fountain.
The question always exists in my mind, do hand sanitizers really work?
According to the article, Hand Sanitizers are the really worth it? germs are like strands of hair.
So, how does the alcohol actually work? Think of a germ as having a well manicured hair-do. Every strand of hair is styled in a very particular way, and the whole hair-do only works if every strand holds its individual structure. But then the germ steps outside into an especially humid summer day. Its hair-do gets assaulted by the heavy, sticky air; the strands end up going limp, losing their original shape. Goodbye, perfect hair-do.
The germ’s proteins (essential to its life processes) are like its strands of hair, and alcohol is like the humid weather. The alcohol denatures the proteins, causing them to lose their structure, rendering them useless. Goodbye, viable germ.
Some thoughts to remember:
- Alcohol-based sanitizers work best against bacteria like E.coli, salmonella and fungi.
- Remember that the use of hand sanitizer is only a temporary one and should be combined with regular hand-washing with soap an water.
- Also, look at the label, the label should contain alcohol in the 60-95% concentration range to effectively kill off most germs.
It appears there is a place for hand sanitizers in our battle against germs and sickness this winter. I would invite you to read the article, Hand Sanitizers: Are They Really Worth It? It is a good article and I given you a light summary of some of the points it presents.
