S/O of 'wash your hands'; do YOU wash or use hand sanitizer?

[*********]

Ok, I was reading in the other thread about people who are disgusted when someone else doesn't wash their hands in a public bathroom.

 

I don't. And I don't have my boys do it, either. I guess my feeling is, unless there's, um, *matter (:ack2:, LOL) on someone's hands that really needs running water and soap to clean off, then I'd rather skip it. I have no idea, usually, how germy the sink/soap/paper towel dispenser is. Sometimes, I *do have an idea, just from appearances, iykwim.

 

So, I use hand sanitizer, and I have my boys do the same. In fact, I usually wait until we're just outside the bathroom to sanitize. I will pull my shirt sleeve down over my hand to open the door if I have to (or employ some other method if necessary, but I never touch things with my dirty hands), and the boys always have strict instruction to not. touch. anything. I don't want to spread my germs to anyone else just as much as I don't want to *catch anything.

 

I'll admit, if there's other people in the bathroom, I'll use the sanitizer there in the bathroom, and even say something to the boys like 'we'll use this hand sanitizer instead of the sink'. I don't want other people thinking we're gross. :D

 

So, what do you do, and why? I'm genuinely curious.

[Tree House Academy]

If there is a sink (and it isn't more nasty than the toilet!) then I wash hands with soap and water (mine and the kids). If we are out and about (say in the middle of wal-mart), then I use the hand sanitizer.

[lionfamily1999]

We use the sinks, but we do use paper towels to touch everything :p

 

It makes me feel like a hypochondriac (to walk around with paper towels, refusing to touch anything in the bathroom), but it's better than picking up yucky stuff.

[Tutor]

We do both. If there paper towels and soap available (amazing how often they are out), we wash with warm water, use a towel to open the door, then use hand sanitizer outside the bathroom. We also use the hand sanitizer after we are done unloading the cart at the car.

[LauraGB]

We wash our hands in public restrooms; first we get a paper towel and use this to turn on and off the water, pump the soap, etc. We use the paper to open the door, stick our foot in the door and toss the paper into the garbage. We use our foot to flush because there is NO WAY I'm touching the flusher. I am wierd about germs...but I don't often use hand sanitizer because I feel it may kill any good bacteria that might fight off the bad bacteria. Don't know if this is scientifically accurate, but that's what we do. I do, however, keep a pkg of antibacterial wipes in the car for those times when we stop to get something to eat and there is no opportunity to wash our hands beforehand, such as at the fair or some such thing. Oh, and I do use the wipes the stores provide to wipe off the cart handle.

[Jen500]

My first choice is washing with soap and water. If that's not available, sanitizer.

BTW I have never personally SEEN a virus or bacteria in a bathroom. :001_smile:

[Joanne]

I can't imagine not washing hands after toileting. :confused:

 

I don't think of handing washing after toileting as illness prevention. I think of it as basic hygiene/cleanliness.

 

Do I expect the sinks, door knobs, and paper dispenser to be sanitary? Not necessarily. Although logic would dictate that the sink, soap and towel dispenser are more clean than the doornob. Someone having touched the sink or dispensers likely washed to some degree.

 

I personally think ILLNESS is more likely spread on toys, between face to face exchanges, shaking hands, etc.

 

While I think public restrooms can be gross and sometimes smelly, most I've seen are adequate and reasonably fine. I've never quite understood the public restroom phobia.

[Joanne]

I am wierd about germs...but I don't often use hand sanitizer because I feel it may kill any good bacteria that might fight off the bad bacteria.

 

I'm not weird; I'm opinionated. ;) I personally believe that over prescription of antibiotics and the increasing, progressive use of antibacterials including sanitizers is creating super-bugs and more bugs.

[orangearrow]

This time of year - both, when at all possible. If I'm only given one option - I'd choose soap & water every time.

 

I really can't walk out of a bathroom with unwashed hands & feel clean. At all. :ack2: At the kids soccer field, they do not have soap, only water and a big jug of hand sanitizer. I've started carrying my own soap when we go to the field!

 

:leaving:

[Ferdie]

We do both. If there paper towels and soap available (amazing how often they are out), we wash with warm water, use a towel to open the door, then use hand sanitizer outside the bathroom. We also use the hand sanitizer after we are done unloading the cart at the car.

 

We do both also. Wash in the bathrooms and sanitize when we get in the car. I keep a jumbo sanitizer in my car cup holder.

[Pajama Mama]

I use both. I'll use the sink with soap. But I also keep a bottle of sanitizer in my purse. I use the paper towels to touch everything too. I hate when they have those air dryers only:glare:

 

The talk about smelly bathrooms reminds me of my first pregnancy. I was ok with morning sickness most of the time. What made me really sick was the public bathroom smell. Not my bathroom or another person's bathroom. But a public restroom was a sure fire way to ensure that I would throw up. Since I had to pee every 10 seconds, I avoided public places for my 1st trimester:)

[*********]

Ok, so far, I'm the only one who just uses sanitizer.

 

I'm kinda wishing I hadn't started the thread now, LOL. I'm feeling kinda conspicuous.

 

:leaving:

 

But seriously, I have a hard time touching a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g in a public restroom that I don't have to.

 

Come to think of it, I've even had friends before whose bathrooms I didn't like to use. :001_huh:

 

Maybe that's just my *thing. Or maybe I need to get over it, LOL.

[lionfamily1999]

Do I expect the sinks, door knobs, and paper dispenser to be sanitary? Not necessarily. Although logic would dictate that the sink, soap and towel dispenser are more clean than the doornob. Someone having touched the sink or dispensers likely washed to some degree.

 

Before or after they touched it?

 

That's why I use the paper towels, because most people touch the soap and faucet before they wash their hands.

 

I also wash the faucet (meaning the turny thingies whose names I cannot remember) when I'm done, lol, just in case I put nasties on there :lol:

[EKS]

It's been shown that hand sanitizer does not work as well as proper washing with soap and water. You can usually get out of the bathroom without touching anything; just use the towel to turn off the water and open the door.

[Guest Katia]

At home we ALWAYS wash hands with soap and water after using the bathroom. Always. And not antibacterial soap; just plain Ivory.

 

However, I hate public restrooms. We carry wet-wipes for our hands and use them AFTER we exit the restroom (after touching the door handles, etc) Then we use hand-sanitizer....sometimes right after the wipes (depending on if we are in a restaurant or not), and sometimes we wait until we get to the car to use the hand-sanitizer.

 

But we never touch sinks, soap, faucet handles, etc. in a public restroom. I figure the less we touch the better off we are. And I don't really care what anyone in that restroom thinks about it. It's not their business.

[EKS]

I can't imagine not washing hands after toileting. :confused:

 

I don't think of handing washing after toileting as illness prevention. I think of it as basic hygiene/cleanliness.

 

Do I expect the sinks, door knobs, and paper dispenser to be sanitary? Not necessarily. Although logic would dictate that the sink, soap and towel dispenser are more clean than the doornob. Someone having touched the sink or dispensers likely washed to some degree.

 

I personally think ILLNESS is more likely spread on toys, between face to face exchanges, shaking hands, etc.

 

While I think public restrooms can be gross and sometimes smelly, most I've seen are adequate and reasonably fine. I've never quite understood the public restroom phobia.

 

:iagree:

[Heather in MD]

We do both. If there paper towels and soap available (amazing how often they are out), we wash with warm water, use a towel to open the door, then use hand sanitizer outside the bathroom. We also use the hand sanitizer after we are done unloading the cart at the car.

 

Same here :)

Heather in MD

[melissel]

I can't imagine not washing hands after toileting. :confused:

 

I don't think of handing washing after toileting as illness prevention. I think of it as basic hygiene/cleanliness.

 

Do I expect the sinks, door knobs, and paper dispenser to be sanitary? Not necessarily. Although logic would dictate that the sink, soap and towel dispenser are more clean than the doornob. Someone having touched the sink or dispensers likely washed to some degree.

 

I personally think ILLNESS is more likely spread on toys, between face to face exchanges, shaking hands, etc.

 

While I think public restrooms can be gross and sometimes smelly, most I've seen are adequate and reasonably fine. I've never quite understood the public restroom phobia.

 

:iagree: Though I'll admit that I've started carrying some TP in my purse on certain occasions, like my mom does :tongue_smilie:

[PineFarmMom]

At this particular point in time, I do both. I also go to the store and use one of those cart wipes and bathe my cart before we go about our way. After doing that, I put on hand sanitizer. When we leave the store, we all douse ourselves in hand sanitizer. When we go to a public restroom, we wash our hands and dry them with a paper towel, then open the door with that same paper towel. Then we use hand sanitizer. I just feel extra protected that way. ;)

[LauraGB]

Although, I have to admit to feeling very put out if the only soap in the bathroom is bar soap, all gooey and icky and dirty sitting in a puddle.:ack2: I'd rather wet my pants.

Edited October 26, 2009 by LauraGB
wrong word

[*********]

Although, I have to admit to feeling very put out if the only soap in the bathroom is bar soap, all gooey and icky and dirty sitting in a puddle.:ack2: I'd sooner wet my pants.

 

*snort*

 

I literally LOL'd. :001_smile:

[Pink Fairy]

We do both. If there paper towels and soap available (amazing how often they are out), we wash with warm water, use a towel to open the door, then use hand sanitizer outside the bathroom. We also use the hand sanitizer after we are done unloading the cart at the car.

 

That's what we do. Our habit when getting in the car after going somewhere is use hand sanitizer. I became a germaphobe when my best friend was in medical school. She was studying microbiology, and we both were over the top for a while (washing bananas before we peeled them, etc.). Really, I just hate being sick, so any little precautions I can take I will, although I no longer wash my bananas. :tongue_smilie:

[LadyAberlin]

My sister in her Biology class had to grow bacteria in petri dishes. They were allowed to swab everywhere but the bathroom because bathroom swabs won't grow due to all the chemicals they use to clean the bathrooms.

[chaik76]

We wash our hands with water only when using a public restroom. We don't use anti-bacterial soaps or hand sanitizers.

[SheWillFly]

We wash, when the conditions are acceptable to me, and use hand santizer. My son's best friend is seriously immune compromised as well as my sister. Hand washing is a big big thing for us to be able to continue to see and play with the ones we love.

 

If we don't wash in the bathroom I do make a point to remind them that I have hand sanitizer in my bag.

[SheWillFly]

 

But seriously, I have a hard time touching a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g in a public restroom that I don't have to.

 

Come to think of it, I've even had friends before whose bathrooms I didn't like to use. :001_huh:

 

Maybe that's just my *thing. Or maybe I need to get over it, LOL.

That is my middle child. She hates public bathrooms. She even refuses to use the one bathroom at my parents house because she doesn't think my mom keeps it clean enough. She only uses the guest bath because very few people use that one. She is also in charge of cleaning our half bath, the one she uses most. Her standards are strict!

[Ellie]

You don't wash your hands? :blink:

 

I wash my hands with soap and hot water (if it's available). There are "bathroom germs" on *everything,* even if you don't see anything on your own hands. I do it in my own home, too.

 

I can't remember the last time I was in a public bathroom that had bar soap instead of some sort of liquid/dispenser, but I'd be grossed out with icky bar soap, too.

 

I don't use hand sanitizer, although I have used those wipie-thingies some grocery stores have so you can wipe off the shopping cart handles.

[Oak Knoll Mom]

We do both. If there paper towels and soap available (amazing how often they are out), we wash with warm water, use a towel to open the door, then use hand sanitizer outside the bathroom. We also use the hand sanitizer after we are done unloading the cart at the car.

:iagree:

Normally I don't use much hand sanitizer, but when we went to Disney World earlier this month this is what I did.

 

I also sanitized after every ride and whenever I saw my kids touching the handrails in the queue. I was so determined not to get sick on vacation!

[Jen in PA]

I do both. I have never been all that big on hand sanitizer, but I am using it more lately. At home we use plain old (not antibacterial) soap and hot water. I have to admit that I love the newer public restrooms with everything automated and no door at the exit:001_smile:

[Mommy22alyns]

I always wash, always. It doesn't feel right on my hands if I just use hand sanitizer.

[LauraGB]

I can't remember the last time I was in a public bathroom that had bar soap instead of some sort of liquid/dispenser, but I'd be grossed out with icky bar soap, too.

 

 

The last time was a few weeks ago, in a fairly upscale restaraunt and wine bar. The idea that the employees also used that soap (or maybe not :glare:) made me pretty ill, considering we had just finished eating dinner.

 

Another time, not too long ago, was at a gas station.

[The Governess]

I'm not weird; I'm opinionated. ;) I personally believe that over prescription of antibiotics and the increasing, progressive use of antibacterials including sanitizers is creating super-bugs and more bugs.

 

:iagree:Although I did read an article a while back about the distinction between sanitizers that use an anti-bacterial agent and those that use alcohol. The sanitizers that use alcohol simply kill the bacteria, the bacteria are unable to breathe and so they die. The sanitizers that use an anti-bacterial agent are the ones that can contribute to super-bugs or mutations because the bacteria can fight back and become resistant. They can't mutate to become resistant to the alcohol. So while I have a problem with over-using antibiotics, anti-bacterial soap, etc. I am fine with using alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

 

We always wash hands in a public restroom and if I feel the cleanliness was sketchy or if my toddler decided to play in the sink, etc. we will follow up with hand sanitizer after we leave. I am doing this increasingly often after I read a study that showed that the sink is possibly the germiest place in a public restroom.

[Macrina]

Sanitizer, always and only. I too, often say something out loud about using sanitizer if someone else is around! Public bathroom sinks, doors, paper towel handles- all gross!

[*********]

Sanitizer, always and only. I too, often say something out loud about using sanitizer if someone else is around! Public bathroom sinks, doors, paper towel handles- all gross!

 

Ah, my sister you must be! :D (Little joke; it's nice to feel vailidated. :D)

[Macrina]

We wash our hands with water only when using a public restroom. We don't use anti-bacterial soaps or hand sanitizers.

 

:001_huh: I'm sorry, but ew. Just water out in PUBLIC? What kills the germs?!? Enlighten me please.

[*********]

We wash our hands with water only when using a public restroom. We don't use anti-bacterial soaps or hand sanitizers.

 

Interesting. Why no soap or sanitizer?

[RoughCollie]

I use the soap and water provided *if* the restroom has warm water -- many do not. I carry hand sanitizer with me and I use it when I've been in a public place.

 

Caveat: I rarely use public restrooms -- only in an emergency. I have a bladder like a camel.

[fivetails]

 

While I think public restrooms can be gross and sometimes smelly, most I've seen are adequate and reasonably fine. I've never quite understood the public restroom phobia.

 

If you'd seen what I saw a couple of years ago, at a flea market.... :001_huh:

 

WARNING: if anyone is eating, or has a easily turned stomach, you might not want to read this.

 

We were at a flea market and my daughter needed to use the washroom - I think she was.. 9? or maybe just turned 10 .. anyway. There were two washrooms, mens & ladies -- just single rooms, like a washroom in your house. The ladies was occupied and the person didn't seem to have any plans to come out anytime soon, so I told dd to use the empty mens (again, please note I said they were SINGLE, one person washrooms like in your house) because she was very nearly about to pee her pants.

 

She went in (the door had been 3/4 open, light off, very obviously an empty washroom) as I stood there in the little hallway with her brother.

 

About five seconds later, she comes back out and says "Mum, it's all muddy." ...I rolled my eyes a bit and said "a little mud isn't gonna hurt ya" - it was a rainy sort of day and the outdoors area of the flea market was wet and muddy, people were tracking it everywhere.

 

{bet you can see where this is going}

 

{I warned you ;)}

 

She says "No, it's REALLY muddy and gross!"

 

I sighed, and walked over toward the bathroom with her brother and opened the door all the way.

 

I have a very strong stomach - VERY. I'm the one who everyone comes to when they someone to deal with kid/animal puke, moldy food, etc ..and I came *this* close to throwing up on my feet.

 

I'm glad it was me and not dh - he gags when he looks at the litterbox.

 

The toilet and the floor and even some of the wall area was covered with human feces. COVERED. I mean, if I hadn't known that the toilet's natural colour was white....the sides, the seat, the open seat cover, EVERYTHING.

 

I backed out, closed the door, and took the kids with me to the counter of the little shop (flea market was run by the shop owners) and told the lady that they had a very, very serious problem in the mens room - a problem that would need a hose. I don't think she believed me until she went and looked for herself, came back rather green.

 

To this day, I still can't fathom how in the world someone managed to create that mess - or how they could have just left it that way! Seriously. It was BAD. Really, really bad. :ack2:

[Mrs Mungo]

We always wash hands after using the bathroom, whether at home or in public. We only use hand sanitizer in certain circumstances like after petting zoo animals, etc.

[Sputterduck]

If you'd seen what I saw a couple of years ago, at a flea market.... :001_huh:

 

WARNING: if anyone is eating, or has a easily turned stomach, you might not want to read this.

 

We were at a flea market and my daughter needed to use the washroom - I think she was.. 9? or maybe just turned 10 .. anyway. There were two washrooms, mens & ladies -- just single rooms, like a washroom in your house. The ladies was occupied and the person didn't seem to have any plans to come out anytime soon, so I told dd to use the empty mens (again, please note I said they were SINGLE, one person washrooms like in your house) because she was very nearly about to pee her pants.

 

She went in (the door had been 3/4 open, light off, very obviously an empty washroom) as I stood there in the little hallway with her brother.

 

About five seconds later, she comes back out and says "Mum, it's all muddy." ...I rolled my eyes a bit and said "a little mud isn't gonna hurt ya" - it was a rainy sort of day and the outdoors area of the flea market was wet and muddy, people were tracking it everywhere.

 

{bet you can see where this is going}

 

{I warned you ;)}

 

She says "No, it's REALLY muddy and gross!"

 

I sighed, and walked over toward the bathroom with her brother and opened the door all the way.

 

I have a very strong stomach - VERY. I'm the one who everyone comes to when they someone to deal with kid/animal puke, moldy food, etc ..and I came *this* close to throwing up on my feet.

 

I'm glad it was me and not dh - he gags when he looks at the litterbox.

 

The toilet and the floor and even some of the wall area was covered with human feces. COVERED. I mean, if I hadn't known that the toilet's natural colour was white....the sides, the seat, the open seat cover, EVERYTHING.

 

I backed out, closed the door, and took the kids with me to the counter of the little shop (flea market was run by the shop owners) and told the lady that they had a very, very serious problem in the mens room - a problem that would need a hose. I don't think she believed me until she went and looked for herself, came back rather green.

 

To this day, I still can't fathom how in the world someone managed to create that mess - or how they could have just left it that way! Seriously. It was BAD. Really, really bad. :ack2:

 

I had a boyfriend who worked at a fairly nice hotel. Hotel rooms on occasion end up like that and worse. By worse I mean a worse substance that comes from a guy. Give a whacko like that a few days in a hotel room to mess things up and imagine what kind of grossness can be accomplished. *shudder*

[EKS]

Hand sanitizer that is alcohol based also doesn't do anything for viruses.

[Laura Corin]

Soap and water unless the bathroom is vile.

 

Laura

[Sputterduck]

Hand sanitizer that is alcohol based also doesn't do anything for viruses.

 

Really? That sucks. It seems a good ol' hand washing is clearly better then.

[lionfamily1999]

Hand sanitizer that is alcohol based also doesn't do anything for viruses.

I didn't know that...

 

Not to be snarky, but do you have a link, or reference for that? I'd love to pass that info. on (to all the sanitizer maniacs I know), but they won't take it unless I can reference it :p

[*********]

I didn't know that...

 

Not to be snarky, but do you have a link, or reference for that? I'd love to pass that info. on (to all the sanitizer maniacs I know), but they won't take it unless I can reference it :p

 

Hey, yeah, me too.

[The Governess]

Hand sanitizer that is alcohol based also doesn't do anything for viruses.

 

Do you mean it doesn't kill viruses? I've always been taught differently. Here is some information from an article from Wikipedia on hand sanitizer, but maybe I am not understanding correctly or there are conflicting studies out there?

 

The Centers for Disease Control says the most important way to prevent the transmission of dangerous diseases is to frequently wash your hands with soap and water. If soap and water are not available it is recommended to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.[18][19] Alcohol rubs kill many different kinds of bacteria, including antibiotic resistant bacteria and TB bacteria. It also has high viricidal activity against many different kinds of viruses, including enveloped viruses such as the flu virus, the common cold virus, and HIV, though is notably ineffective against the rabies virus.[20] [21] [22] Alcohol rubs also kill fungi.[23]

According to Rotter (1999), “alcohol rubs are approximately 100 times more effective against viruses than any form of hand washingâ€. Isopropyl alcohol will instantly kill 99.99 percent or more of all non-spore forming bacteria in less than 30 seconds, both in the laboratory and on human skin.[17][18] A controlled study of 200 workers at FedEx in 2004 showed that placing hand sanitizer dispensers in an office and educating workers about their use resulted in a 21% reduction in absenteeism.[24] Controlled studies showed an even greater reduction in absenteeism (51%) in elementary schools[25] and college dormitories (43%).[26]

The alcohol in hand sanitizers may be ineffective in low quantities or concentrations. Though Isopropyl alcohol is efficient in killing most bacteria, the exposure time required to lyse cells is not met since alcohol tends to evaporate in less than 10–15 seconds.[citation needed] If the correct amount of alcohol rub hand sanitizer is used, it will not evaporate in 10–15 seconds.[citation needed] Mackintosh (1984) found that application of 0.3 milliliters alcohol rub to the hands was no more effective than plain soap-and-water hand washing, but that increasing the volume to 0.5 milliliters increased the effectiveness of alcohols substantially.[1] In environments with high lipids or protein waste (such as food processing), the use of alcohol hand rubs alone may not be sufficient to ensure proper hand hygiene.[citation needed]

Not all pathogens are equally susceptible. Certain bacteria, especially the spore-forming gram positives (e.g. Clostridium difficile) are relatively resistant and remain biologically viable. During the Anthrax attacks on the United States Postal Service, authorities warned that alcohol hand rubs would not kill anthrax spores.

Alcohol kills both pathogenic (disease causing) microorganisms as well as resident bacterial flora, which generally do not cause illness. [27] Research shows that alcohol hand sanitizers do not pose any risk by eliminating "good" germs that are naturally present on the skin. The body quickly replenishes the good germs on the hands, often moving them in from just up the arms where there are fewer harmful germs.[28]

Alcohol also strips the skin of the outer layer of oil, which may have negative effects on barrier function of the skin. However, washing with detergents, such as commonly used hand soaps, results in a greater barrier disruption of skin compared to alcohol solutions, suggesting a increased loss of skin lipids [29] [30]

[chaik76]

:001_huh: I'm sorry, but ew. Just water out in PUBLIC? What kills the germs?!? Enlighten me please.

 

Interesting. Why no soap or sanitizer?

We do not use soap in bathroom because it is almost always anti-bacterial. Same with hand-sanitizer; at least the kinds you can get around here.

 

In addition, I am allergic to most additives in soap and they make any part of my body I use them on swell. Not pretty.

 

Here's a little quote from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/washing_hands.html

While it is true that regular soap and water does not actually kill microorganisms (they create a slippery surface that allows the organisms to "slide off"), antibacterial soaps are typically considered to be "overkill" for most purposes. The exception may be in a hospital where special situations are present (e.g., before invasive procedures, when caring for severely immuno-compromised patients, critical care areas, intensive care nurseries, etc.). Antibacterial agents should be chosen carefully based on their active ingredients and characteristics, and when persistent antimicrobial activity on the hands is desired.

 

Basically we believe that anti-bacterial soaps and sanitizers contribute to people not adapting to germs as well. We prefer germy over non-germy, honestly. We do not believe in killing all germs (and yes, my dh is a Chemist) and anti-bacterial soap can kill good bacteria as well as bad. I prefer to keep my good bacteria around. :DWhile water will not kill everything, washing your hands thoroughly with water does help rid the hands of contaminants. For that matter, we use very little soap in our daily lives at home too. My kids do use soap to wash their hands at home, but I do not use even non-bacterial soap at any time, to wash anything. I'm healthy, my kids are healthy...my doctor doesn't have a problem with it, and prefers me to be healthy rather than covered in rash and swelling. Even without those allergic side effects though, we still choose to wash thoroughly with water rather than use soap in most situations.

[lionfamily1999]

Chaik 76, I'm glad you answered that. Thanks.

[*********]

We do not use soap in bathroom because it is almost always anti-bacterial. Same with hand-sanitizer; at least the kinds you can get around here.

 

In addition, I am allergic to most additives in soap and they make any part of my body I use them on swell. Not pretty.

 

Here's a little quote from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/washing_hands.html

 

 

Basically we believe that anti-bacterial soaps and sanitizers contribute to people not adapting to germs as well. We prefer germy over non-germy, honestly. We do not believe in killing all germs (and yes, my dh is a Chemist) and anti-bacterial soap can kill good bacteria as well as bad. I prefer to keep my good bacteria around. :DWhile water will not kill everything, washing your hands thoroughly with water does help rid the hands of contaminants. For that matter, we use very little soap in our daily lives at home too. My kids do use soap to wash their hands at home, but I do not use even non-bacterial soap at any time, to wash anything. I'm healthy, my kids are healthy...my doctor doesn't have a problem with it, and prefers me to be healthy rather than covered in rash and swelling. Even without those allergic side effects though, we still choose to wash thoroughly with water rather than use soap in most situations.

Very interesting. :001_smile: And informative. (somehow I stilll don't think dh will give up his hand sanitizier, however, lol.)

[EKS]

I used to work as a scientist in a lab. We worked with mammalian cell cultures where we wanted to keep them free of bacteria. One of the steps used in cleaning the area prior to work was to spray down the area with alcohol and *then let it air dry*. That killed the bacteria though the microbiologists I worked with claimed that it didn't kill spores, which are sort of a dormant form of bacteria, I believe.

 

We also had occasion to work with materials containing HIV. When we did this, *afterwards* we cleaned the area with a bleach solution, *not* alcohol, because, as the microbiologists explained, alcohol won't touch viruses. This is also apparently common knowledge in hospitals, and they have procedures in place that reflect this, as I was recently talking to a former ER nurse about this very issue.

 

So, if the hand sanitizer is alcohol based, it might help kill bacteria, if you put enough on and then let your hands air dry. But it won't do much for viruses, except maybe move them around.

 

I'll look to see if I can find a link.