While you cannot see them, germs are all around us and can settle on objects and your hands during daily activities, making you ill.
One effective step you can take to reduce the spread of germs to other people and avoid getting sick is to clean your hands with water and soap or use a hand sanitizer spray bottle that contains 60-70% alcohol.
While water and soap work to eliminate all kinds of germs on the hands, a sanitizer is responsible for killing specific types of germs on the skin.
Know more about germs and the hands
Your hands touch countless surfaces every day, and all these surfaces consist of little populations of germs. As you go about your day, you do not notice how gross your hands have become. Here are some things to remember:
- About 2-10 million bacteria are getting comfortable at your fingertips.
- You transfer germs from your hands to the food and drinks you put inside your mouth, particularly when you do not wash your hands.
- After using the toilet, the germs on your hands double their numbers.
- Damp hands spread more germs by up to 1,000 times when they are dry.
- Germs can stay on your hands for up to three hours.
What makes germs bad?
Germs are microorganisms that are to blame for the many illnesses and diseases that occur. Someone or something leaves germs on surfaces, and they lie in wait there.
When your hands touch those surfaces and then touch your mouth, nose, and eyes, this gives germs access to enter your body, causing you to feel sick.
When you handle raw meats, change a diaper, use the toilet, or come in contact with anything that is full of germs, these microorganisms relocate on your hands. You can also pass the germs from your hands to another person if you do not wash them off.
When you kill these germs by hand washing and using a hand sanitizer spray bottle, you prevent someone from getting ill.
There are many different reasons why you should avoid getting ill. For one, your illness could worsen, affecting your job and, thus, your finances. Also, if you get sick, you will be prescribed more antibiotics.
As much as possible, you do not want to take more antibiotics because the bacteria gradually gets immune to the antibiotics. It means that the antibiotics will not be able to help your body defend itself against the infection.
Ways that germs can spread
- Food: Raw foods with germs can transfer them to uncooked foods like salads. While you kill the germs when you cook the raw food, the salad does not; hence, can make you ill.
- Children: Children are the causes of the spread of germs, such as their runny noses, uncovered coughs, dirty diapers, etc.
- Animals: As with children, animals are adorable, but they can be carriers of millions of germs.
- Dirty hands: When a person with dirty hands prepares food without washing their hands first, you are likely to get sick from it.
- From the eyes, nose, and mouth: When you rub your eyes, sneeze, or cough, it can cause the nasty germs to spread all around you.
How to fight those germs
It is possible to kill the germs that stay on your hands to prevent diseases from developing. Besides getting vaccinated, washing, and keeping your hands clean and dry is the easiest way to keep those illnesses away.
If water and soap are not available, using a hand sanitizer can also be your best defense against infections. An alcohol-based hand sanitizer can also be your added protection after handwashing.
How Hand Sanitizer Works
Isopropyl alcohol, a similar type of alcohol such as n-propanol or ethanol, or a combination of these alcohols, is the key ingredient of hand sanitizers. A hand sanitizer spray bottle can efficiently kill germs as washing your hands thoroughly.
The effectiveness of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer depends on a few factors, including the type of product you use, proper technique, consistency, and how much you use.
Certain situations require the use of a hand sanitizer, for example, when you have touched public handrail stairs, riding a public transport, held a shopping cart, pet an animal, have shaken hands, and many more.
All in all, alcohol-based hand sanitizers are convenient, affordable, easy to buy, and simple to use. Not to mention, they have a pleasant smell. Keep in mind that there is a correct way to use a hand sanitizer, and you must know when to use it to get the most from it.
