Germs can easily find their way onto your hands when you touch surfaces or objects contaminated by an infected person. If you forget to wash your hands and then eat or touch your nose, mouth, or eyes, those germs can enter your body and make you sick. The reality is, germs are pretty much everywhere. That's why keeping your hands clean with soap and water or hand sanitizer is absolutely essential for preventing the spread of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. In fact, studies have shown that proper hand hygiene can significantly reduce the transmission of respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 [2].
The new coronavirus can be kept at bay by washing your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap, but alcohol-based hand sanitizers can be a lifesaver when soap and water are unavailable. Research indicates that hand sanitizers containing at least 60% alcohol are effective against viruses like SARS-CoV-2 [4]. Here are some helpful tips for using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:
How to Properly Use Hand Sanitizer:
- Remember, alcohol hand sanitizers can lead to alcohol poisoning if swallowed, so keep them out of reach of children. It's crucial to teach them the correct way to use the sanitizer and supervise them while they clean their hands.
- Just a coin-sized amount on your hands is all you need—using more than that isn't necessary.
- Rub your hands together for at least 20 seconds, making sure to cover every part of your hands; this duration is essential for effective germ elimination [3].
- Avoid touching your eyes, mouth, and nose right after using hand sanitizer, as it can cause irritation.
- Sanitizers with more than 60% alcohol are flammable, so don't use them before cooking.
- Allow the sanitizer to dry on its own; don't wipe it off. If you wipe it off before your hands are completely dry, it might not have enough time to effectively eliminate germs [5].
Precautions While Using Sanitizer:
- If your hands are visibly dirty or greasy, hand sanitizers may not be effective and washing with soap and water is preferred [1].
- If you've handled chemicals, it's best to wash your hands with soap and water.
- If soap and water are available, always opt for them over hand sanitizer.
- If you've been in contact with someone exposed to germs that hand sanitizers may not kill, such as Clostridium difficile, washing with soap and water is crucial.
References:
- Smita Ghare, Dennis Warner, Jeffrey Warner, Paula M Chilton, Jiyeon Lee, JingWen Zhang, Min Wang, Josiah Hardesty, Rui Treves, Jon Gabbard, Charles Anderson, Lalit Batra, Chithra Sreenivasan, Jennifer Kraenzle, Matthew McCulley, Stephanie McCoy, Lihua Zhang, Wenke Feng, Dibson Dibe Gondim, Shirish Barve, Jian Zheng, Kenneth Palmer, Craig McClain, Irina Kirpich. Impact of chronic ethanol consumption and SARS-COV-2 on the liver and intestine: A pilot dose-response study in mice.. PubMed. 2025.
- Christopher B Forsyth, Robin M Voigt, Garth R Swanson, Faraz Bishehsari, Maliha Shaikh, Lijuan Zhang, Phillip Engen, Ali Keshavarzian. Alcohol use disorder as a potential risk factor for COVID-19 severity: A narrative review.. PubMed. 2022.
- Marion M Friske, Rainer Spanagel. Chronic alcohol consumption and COVID-19 infection risk: A narrative review.. PubMed. 2023.
- Gianni Testino, Teo Vignoli, Valentino Patussi, Pierluigi Allosio, Maria Francesca Amendola, Sarino Aricò, Aniello Baselice, Patrizia Balbinot, Vito Campanile, Tiziana Fanucchi, Giovanni Greco, Livia Macciò, Cristina Meneguzzi, Davide Mioni, Vincenzo Ostilio Palmieri, Michele Parisi, Doda Renzetti, Raffaella Rossin, Claudia Gandin, Luigi Carlo Bottaro, Mauro Bernardi, Giovanni Addolorato, Lisa Lungaro, Giorgio Zoli, Emanuele Scafato, Fabio Caputo. Alcohol-Related Liver Disease in the Covid-19 Era: Position Paper of the Italian Society on Alcohol (SIA).. PubMed. 2022.
- Gianni Testino, Rinaldo Pellicano. Alcohol consumption: confirmed as cause of increased COVID-19 disease severity.. PubMed. 2022.