Hand sanitizers were developed for use after washing hands or for those times when soap and water are not available. They are liquid that contain alcohol in order to kill the germs present on the skin. The alcohol works immediately and effectively in order to kill bacteria and most viruses. Alcohol can be very drying to the skin, so most brands of sanitizers also contain a moisturizer to minimize skin dryness and irritation.

This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. One of the foremost benefits of hand sanitizer is just that: It sanitizes. These products were designed to kill germs, and they get the job done. When used properly, hand sanitizers can eliminate 99.9% of the germs on your hands. The CDC recommends washing your hands any time you’re around food (preparing it or eating it), animals, garbage, and more. When you find yourself in these situations, hand sanitizer is the perfect addition to (or occasional replacement for) washing your hands with soap and water. Alcohol-based sanitizers can reduce about 97% of the bacteria on your hands. 30 seconds of using hand sanitizer kills many bacteria as two full minutes of hand washing.

At the office, in the classroom, or in any space with lots of foot traffic, germs spread quickly. And even if you’re not getting ready to eat or taking out the garbage, other people’s germs can affect you (especially in close quarters). That’s why having hand sanitizer available is ideal for people. Teachers, students, and office workers can kill germs periodically throughout the day without having to leave their classroom or desk, and gym-goers can use a squirt of hand sanitizer before hopping on the next workout machine. Especially during flu season, minimizing your exposure to other people’s germs is crucial for your health. When you take a moment to sanitize your hands a few times throughout the day, you reduce your chances of getting sick. Even a quick trip to a friend’s house or the store can expose you to germs that could cause a cold, the flu, or other illnesses, so keeping your hands as clean as possible is important. According to studies, 1 in 5 people don’t regularly wash their hands. Of those who do, 70% don’t use soap. Providing hand sanitizer in key areas (including bathrooms and kitchens) makes it more likely that people will use it to kill harmful bacteria.

Hand sanitizers are convenient, portable, easy to use and not time consuming. Several studies have concluded that the risk of spreading gastrointestinal (stomach) and respiratory infection is decreased among families who use hand sanitizers. Commercially prepared hand sanitizers contain ingredients that help prevent skin dryness. Using these products can result in less skin dryness and irritation than hand washing. Studies show that adding hand sanitizers to classrooms can reduce student absenteeism due to illness by 20 per cent. What’s more, many kids think instant hand sanitizers are fun to use. Hand sanitizers are not cleaning agents and are not meant as a replacement for soap and water, but as a complementary habit. Sanitizers are most effective when used in conjunction with diligent hand-washing. Schools and colleges should make it part of their educational curriculum to teach about how important it is to wash our hands on regular basis and make sanitizer part of our daily life, this will lead to avoiding a lot of diseases and also stay healthy.