Do you use hand sanitizer or wash your hands?
@lilblondiemjd (857)
United States
November 1, 2010 2:00pm CST
I have to admit, I am obsessed with hand sanitizer! I'm always paranoid about washing my hands because I wonder if I'm really getting all of the germs off. However, recently I've heard that over the years, your skin can produce cells that become immune to the alcohol in hand sanitizer, and so it does not kill the germs anymore. So lately I've been doing both, washing my hands and using hand sanitizer.
Which one do you think is more effective for killing germs? I have many animals and I'm cleaning a lot so I don't want to be eating with dirty hands after doing all of those things. I've also heard you have to wash your hands for like 2 minutes straight or something to get all of the germs off.
What do you prefer? Hand sanitizer or just good old hand washing?
4 people like this
11 responses
@sender621 (14893)
• United States
2 Nov 10
I like to do both. I wash my hands as often as I can. Being germ free is important to our health. If I can't be in a place where i can wash my hands, then sanitizing is the next best thing to do.1 person likes this
@peterpancomplex (438)
• Philippines
2 Nov 10
old handwashing i think is still better, there are some situations that i use hand sanitizer like when your on a road trip but i rather wash my hands since it felt cleaner.
1 person likes this
@incredibleDNA (1742)
• Philippines
2 Nov 10
when i'm at home, i prefer hand washing as I think that it's still better than that of hand sanitizer. otherwise, i use the sanitizer when i'm out of my house
@pogi253 (1596)
• Philippines
2 Nov 10
Ample hand washing is one of the most efficient ways to get rid of disease outbreaks among the hands. Hand washing takes away or destroys micro-organisms on the hands. Proper hand washing includes washing the hands with soap and water. Scrubbing the hands from the wrist down to the fingers. Making sure to scrub the fore fingers really well. Wash the hands for at least 15-20 seconds.
@starlight_starbright (810)
• Philippines
2 Nov 10
There is nothing wrong with that. Given the chance and freedom to do so, I prefer the regular hand washing, using soap and water. But when you are busy it takes time to go to the sink and was hands time to time. If you only want to eliminate the germs, hand sanitizer will do. Only that we must not overdo it. Too much sanitizer might cause the skin to dry. Keeping one's self clean and germ free is such a great habit! ^_^
@Danny2010 (4)
• China
2 Nov 10
I always wash my hands before meal or afer doing something,but I almost never use sanitizer because I think water and soap are available.
1 person likes this
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
2 Nov 10
I have never bought into the hand sanatizer stuff. Yes sure I have bought it from time to time. Mostly because I think it is normal soap but when I get it home someone points out that it is actually a sanatizer soap. I really do try to stay away from them. I think soap and water in a half minute scrub is good enough for a general quick clean. I saw a while back on one of the health shows that soap and water was the best thing. I don't know, I just go with my own instincts and history. Soap and water did the trick for all these years.
@greenline (14838)
• Canada
1 Nov 10
I do use hand sanitizer when coming back home after visiting public places like shopping malls, movie theatres, and so on. That makes me feel safer. These days, the public places also have hand sanitizers for the visitors. Hand washing too is more of a routine for me.
@maezee (41988)
• United States
1 Nov 10
I'm afraid of over-using hand sanitizer, too, as I've also heard those bad stories about losing the 'good bacteria' and all that bad stuff. I don't think washing your hands is something that can be replaced with sanitizer, I really don't! Of course I use it in between orders at the dry cleaners (I deal with dirty clothes for a living) because I feel grimy after touching some people's stuff, and also after I smoke so that my hands don't totally stink like ciggy butts. lol. But I do both, interchangably. Obviously when I go to the bathroom (unless it's in a porty potty, which I totally hate and rarely ever have to use), I wash my hands. I prefer the original, hand-washing, but at the same time, the convenience aspect of using sanitizer is what gets me!
@dheerajlko (470)
• India
1 Nov 10
hand sanitiser is ok but u need water and 30 seconds washing is more then enough to wash ur hands so us e ur sanitiser and wash ur hands using hand saniteser is better coze water couses ur hands skin to loose moisture cousing it to get harden and i ahve never herd of something like skin getting elergic reacton germs get emune but skin sheds every day so getting emune or stiff is out of the question
