Sanitizers fight soap in cleanup

After using the restroom in a public place or even a personal bathroom, it is a common practice for most people to wash their hands.

But the question that arises for many hand washers is whether to use orange-colored liquid soap or the fast-acting hand sanitizer.

Because our society is all about convenience and getting results instantly, many people opt for soap and water alternatives. But some say they are not as effective.

“Hand sanitizers don’t necessarily work as well as soap and water,” Newsweek reporter Jeneen Interlandi said in a Oct. 26, 2007, article. “The effectiveness of alcohol-based gels like Purell depends on the type and amount of germs that they are up against.”

If it has been a long time since people have washed their hands, the effectiveness of the sanitizer is limited, she wrote.

“The Centers for Disease Control guidelines that recommended hand sanitizers as a suitable alternative to hand washing were intended only for health-care settings, where doctors and nurses wash their hands several times an hour, providing the gels with a relatively clean surface to work on.”

Despite concern over hand sanitizers and their germ extinction power, Assistant Professor of biology, Dr. Greg Frederick, said that based on the way the product is tested, it can be just as efficient as soap and water.

“If they (sanitizers) can reduce the number of bacteria by nine-tenths, it is considered effective,” he said.
Even though there is a percentage of bacteria left on the skin, Frederick said it is good that hand sanitizers don’t kill 100% of bacteria.

“On the surface of our skin are millions of bacteria that prevent pathogens that might cause disease,” he said. “So, you don’t want to kill all of them. You just want to kill the transient bacteria—the ones that you just picked up in the restroom or the hospital setting.”

For bacteria that are tougher to get rid of, like those that burrow into the skin and colonize, surface sanitizers won’t do the trick, Frederick said.

“Regular soap works with the actual rubbing process to lift the bacteria out, which is not something hand sanitizers do very well,” he said.

Many people prefer the old stand-by—soap and water hand washing—to the trendy alternative because sanitizers don’t offer a deep clean and can’t stand up against visible dirt and contaminates.

 “I’m more likely to wash my hands better if I use soap and water instead of sanitizers,” junior nursing major Alanna McFarland said.

The student, who is currently taking microbiology, said that some people don’t like the residue it leaves on their hands.

Nurse and commentator for About.com, Kristina Duda, said that putting aside the germ killing value of soap and water and hand sanitizers, it is important to use something to cleanse hands after using the bathroom or preparing food.

“Vigorously washing your hands with warm water and soap for 20 seconds is still a tried-and-true method. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be a convenient alternative,” she said. “Be sure to use enough to cover all surfaces of your hands, including between your fingers, and rub your hands until they are dry.”