Question from cm
I have a question about staving off the flu and germs by washing your hands. I currently use hot water and Method fragrance free soap. But I’ve read some articles (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/health/15well.html) that it isn’t as effective as using hand sanitizer. Are there harmful chemicals in the alcohol based sanitizers or are they safe to use?
Thanks so much,
CM
Debra’s Answer
Actually, the article you cite from the New York Times says that you can either wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
The alcohol in hand sanitizer is made from petroleum and has some toxicity. Since it’s not necessary to use hand sanitizer, I’d use soap and water.
I know a woman who is a nurse, and she was passing out literature on the importance of washing hands to prevent infectious illness. She said we should sing the ABC alphabet song while we scrub our hands to scrub for the right amount of time.
HOW TO WASH YOUR HANDS
