8 Hand Sanitizer Mistakes to Avoid
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, proper sanitation has become a matter of life and death. As a result, many companies had to think of ways to protect their employees. Hence, it is not surprising that hand sanitizers have become ubiquitous. They allow people to stay clean and safe from all germs, bacteria, and viruses. Yet, there are some frequent hand sanitizer mistakes to avoid to make sure you are using the sanitizing liquid correctly.
It has been more than a year since people got into the habit of slathering hand sanitizer on their hands and personal items any time they get the chance. Of course, it is better to over-sanitize than under-sanitize, but there is more to it. Hence, it is essential to raise awareness about effective hand sanitizer use. So, let’s delve into the most common mistakes.
- Not using the right hand sanitizer
It is not unimportant which hand sanitizer you use or provide for use as an employer. This is especially important because most people believe that sanitation with alcohol-based sanitizers is enough to protect themselves from germs in their surroundings.
However, if the sanitizing liquid does not have at least 60 percent of ethyl alcohol or 70% of isopropyl alcohol, then it does not provide the necessary protection from COVID-19 and other tactile-propagated viruses. Mild sanitizers are enough to kill bacteria, but not dangerous viruses such as SARS-CoV-2.
- Not storing the liquid at the right temperature
A related issue involves people not keeping their hand sanitizer dispensers at the right temperature. Prolonged periods in the sun reduce the potency of the sanitizing liquid. This means that you need to place your bottles away from direct sunlight. Therefore, keeping your sanitizer in your car might make your sanitizing liquid less protective.
- Using inadequate hand wipes
One of the most common hand sanitizer mistakes to avoid is the belief that baby wipes and hand wipes can be used for sanitation. This is true only if they contain antimicrobial substances, such as alcohol. Therefore, it is crucial to check if the product you are using can disinfect.
Most people are aware that it is important to use hand sanitizers in the office and other public spaces. However, if they use ineffective sanitizers, they might unwittingly spread or contract viruses under the conviction their hands are clean when in reality they are not.
- Not sanitizing the hand sanitizer dispenser
Here is a legitimate paradox related to hand sanitation. Namely, in order to apply the sanitation liquid, you have to touch the bottle or the lever of the manual hand sanitizer dispenser. This means that you are unnecessarily exposing yourself to possibly contaminated surfaces.
So, you hand someone your bottle containing hand sanitizer. The person disinfects the hands, but not the bottle that contains the disinfectant. In this way, your bottle is potentially carrying the virus just because we perceive that the bottle must be clean since a cleaning liquid is inside it. Hence, make sure that you sanitize the bottle as frequently as you sanitize your hands.
- Not having the right dispenser
Likewise, it could be the case that a few dozens of people in an office building touch the same sanitizer dispenser in a single hour. Most companies have turned to automatic hand sanitizer dispensers instead of manual ones to avoid unnecessary mass contact. In this way, the number of people directly touching the dispenser is brought to a minimum.
This is a crucial step in stopping the spread of COVID-19 now that so many companies are going back to offices. Hence, if you plan to move your company to a new office building, make your new space a germ-free zone by installing automatic hand sanitizer dispensers. This should help keep the level of protection of your employees and customers under control. Also, it is very important that your new office space is thoroughly disinfected before you bring in the necessary office supplies and actually move in.
- Not using sanitizer for an adequate amount of time
The usual advice states you should wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, that is, the amount of time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song twice. However, people rarely do so when they are disinfecting their hands with hand sanitation liquids. The reason why this might happen could be due to the fact people associate alcohol with instant sanitation.
However, you should also take 20 to 30 seconds when you use sanitation liquid. So, a hard and fast rule is to rub until your skin soaks up the liquid.
- Not applying enough sanitation liquid
Surprisingly enough, sometimes people do not put enough sanitation liquid to adequately disinfect. The perfect amount of sanitation liquid should be the size of a quarter or a nickel.
However, this is impossible to determine if the sanitation liquid is sprayed from a pump or a sanitation liquid dispenser. Most of them are built to let out the right amount when you do a full push down on the pump or the lever. As for automatic hand sanitizers you see in offices and retail stores, they let out just the right amount of sanitation liquid.
- Not rubbing your hands properly
Even though proper handwashing has been in the public spotlight since the start of the pandemic, sometimes it happens that people fall into a routine that they think is effective but is actually not.
Unfortunately enough, even a microscopic area left unwashed can attach particles of the virus. This means that you need to scrub the front and the back and in between fingers. You may even want to scratch your palms while spreading the liquid to disinfect under the nails.
We hope you have found helpful information in this short article about frequent hand sanitizer mistakes to avoid! All in all, just keep calm and disinfect the viruses away!