There’s an awful lot of to-do about hand-sanitizing this month, and not surprising, since Swine flu seems to be on the rise. How can we best protect ourselves and our families? Is hand-sanitizer the way to go or is simple hand-washing better? Good Morning America conducted a wonderful test yesterday, where they tested the effectiveness of hand sanitizers, anti-bacterial soaps and plain regular soaps. They found that hand-sanitizers containing at least 60% of alcohol were best for getting rid of germs, however this sanitizers don’t get rid of dirt and grime. The biggest finding was that most people don’t wash their hands properly. You need to wash for a good 30 seconds (1 elephant, 2 elephant..), making sure that you include your wrists. It’s also a good idea to scratch the nails of one hand, gently into the palms of your other hand and then switch (this will get the soap under your nails). Are anti-bacterial soaps better – mercifully, No! I say mercifully because all anti-bacterial products contain chemicals that could have adverse affects on your health and the planet. I recommend buying a large bottle of Dr Bronner’s Liquid Castille Soap. You’ll find it at most health food stores and if you can get to a Trader Joe’s, they carry it. Try to get the peppermint scent, as it leaves a fresh clean smell. A large bottle will go a long, long way and you can use it for tons of other things.
As far as hand sanitizers are concerned, my favorites are:
Great news about anti-bacterial soap! I think our kids are too clean now. They have no disease resistance.
Target also has the Dr. Bronner’s soap. I buy it there and use it for everything, including shampooing my horses!
Couldn’t agree more, this is my pet peeve and it’s really difficult to find soap that is not antibacterial these days, you really have to know your stuff and go out of your way to find it. I just ran out my my kids Dr Bronners baby mild and will have to get another one at targer. Have to say trader joe has a peppermint castille soap that’s their own brand I just tried but does not compare to the Doc’s.
Couldn’t agree more. More and more people are using hand sanitizers and it is exactly what it is called a sanitizer. It doesn’t clean your hands unless you use so much that you have to dry your hands on a towel. But then it only removes some dirt.
I think another way to reduce germs is to use a sensor-activated faucet so that you aren’t touching something that you just touched with germs. They are hands-free which helps germ control.
I heard about the whole thing about scratching your palms with your nails in high school and that every time I wash my hands.
People don’t realize how much dirt and germs can build up under your nails. It is not just from eating food but from scratching/ itching your skin you obtain dead skins cells, doing your day to day tasks at work, and even to tap your nails on the keyboard or desk or table causes things to build up under your nails.