Why do people think you should use hand sanitizer when soap and water are available?

WHO, CDC, hell even Purell says soap and water are the best way to go. Hand sanitizer should be use when soap and water are not available.





We do realize that regular soap is ';hand sanitizer'; right? And that good old H2O (water) washes the crap off the skin and down the drain? ';Hand sanitizer just rubs it around and leaves it on the skin.Why do people think you should use hand sanitizer when soap and water are available?
Soap is not a hand sanitizer..it is the friction while washing the hands that eliminate the germs. Hand sanitizer is better than nothing....and it is up to the person as to which method they use.Why do people think you should use hand sanitizer when soap and water are available?
actually hand sanitizers have been found to be just as effective as soap and water. And it's the mechanics of movement that rid you of the organisms on your skin, as the sanitizer dries it lifts the organisms from the skin and the friction of rubbing makes them fall off and onto the floor. So, in a way, sanitizers are more convenient, no turning on and off of water, no worry about paper towels or drying off.... either method works.
Hand sanitizer is 99% Alcohol gel.


Alcohol is used in medical setting to sterilize an area; ie to do a finger stick for blood sugar testing, before an injection, before a blood draw for lab tests...


It is accepted for the use of patient care, can be used in between patients during a med pass for example.


Alcohol gel is a great way to supplement your daily hygiene care and to reduce the spread of germs of any kind, viral or bacterial.
Logically,yes,soap does work better than hand sanitizers. But think about this,soap holds dirt in also,especially if you have one bar you use exclusively for everything(bathing,washing hands,etc),that's a lot of dirt buildup,not to mention highly unsanitary.In a pinch something like fast orange(a degreaser)can be used also(for your hands!)is a pinch-fix. I personally use degreasers for my hands and soap for everything else.
Soap is like a surfactant in that it allows the water to lift debris from the skin and wash it away down the sink drain. It does not sanitize, per se.





An alcohol based cleaner actively destroys live organisms that are on the surface of the skin.





Either will do the job, if applied correctly.





What's yer beef about it, anyway?
Actually, hand sanitizer is better than soap and water. It should be at least 50% alcohol.


I am a student nurse, and we are taught to only wash your hands when they are visibly dirty. The rest of the time we use hand sanitizer.


Constant hand washing can cause tiny breaks in your skin, making you more susceptible to getting a virus.
Soap and water - hand sanitizer kills the good bacteria on your hands as well as the bad.

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