Whether choosing hand sanitisers for your shop, business or home, it is essential to find sanitisers that effectively protect against a wide variety of bacteria and germs. Thanks to COVID-19, the use of hand sanitisers has become an expected part of day-to-day life. We are now used to sanitising every time we enter buildings and multiple times over the course of the day. While handwashing remains the ideal choice to protect against contact germs, sanitisers are ideal for a variety of environments. With that said, not all hygiene products are made equal.
Finding the Most Effective Hand Sanitisers
There are a few things that you will need to think about when choosing hand sanitisers that provide full protection against the various strains of viral and bacterial compounds that we come into contact with throughout the day. The most important things to consider include:
Alcohol content
By now, most people know that 60% is the absolute lowest level of alcohol sanitisers should have to work. 70% to 75% is even better. Alcohol is high in antimicrobial compounds, destroying germs quickly when it is at a concentration of 60% – 75%. The reason alcohol is effective is due to denaturation. This happens when those antimicrobial molecules bound with the fat membrane that surrounds viral or bacterial cells. Similar to the way that the fat in soap breaks down the membrane, alcohol breaks down the membrane, dissolving it from the inside and killing the viral or bacterial cell. Always choose a high alcohol sanitiser, but don’t assume that 100% alcohol is better. Anything over 75% can damage your skin and cause severe reactions.
Effectiveness
Any sanitiser used for hands should be effective – that goes without saying. It should protect you against a full range of germs, including MRSA, VRE, Candida, K.pneumoniae, Pseudomonas a, Staph, MRSA, Strep, E.coli, Salmonella, and many others. Sanitisers that are vague about what they protect you from should be avoided. Likewise, those that destroy bacteria and not viruses should also be avoided. You want a full-spectrum product that has 99% effectiveness.
Certification
Be very wary of uncertified products that offer no level of quality control. These may claim to work but there is no way to be sure. If you are buying in bulk for commercial purposes, this is even more important, as you could be putting your employees’ health at risk by using poor quality products.
For all of your sanitisation needs, Enviro-Safe offers premium quality, certified hand sanitiser for offices, retail spaces and homes.
