About "anti-bacterial" hand gel?

[itcontinues]

It's a con. People buy it who are seeking protection from viruses because that's what the advertising implies. But it doesn't protect against viruses, only bacteria, which are less prolific than everyone thinks.
AIBU or do I need a science degree?

Celeste, I thought viruses were airborne so could be breathed in. I am not sure but is it true that you can avoid viruses by not touching eyes, nose and mouth?
I am not questioning to be antsy, I admit I don't know enough

Here you go, some FAQs about hand santizers.

www.purell.com/faq

In a nutshell it's meant to kill the most common types of bacteria that causes illness, and was introduced to the general public as a quick solution to washing hands if no water is avilable (it's only effective if hands aren't soiled).

Over use of antibiotics has meant some types of bacteria are becoming immune to antibiotics. Hand santizers/gels ect are used to help reduce the risk of infection caused by the common types of infection if no soap and clean water is available

Throughly washing your hands like healthcare professionals do is just as affective as the gels.

www.who.int/gpsc/5may/How_To_HandWash_Poster.pdf?ua=1

On holiday recently I was at a farm play place and they had a notice up saying health advice is that antibac gels do not protect against Ecoli 0157 (the one in the blue cheese that a child has just died from eating) and to use soap and water instead. First admission I'd seen of their limitations, but I've always preferred to use soap and water unless stuck without any. But I do the full hand washing routine like those diagrams in hospital toilets show you.

Same goes for cleaning products too. Products claiming to kill bacteria are probably not killing viruses and fungis which are the harmful ones.

Differences between bacteria and viruses.

www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2089

Airborne bacteria come from sneezing and coughing of an infected person. Infected person needs to minimise contact with others and cover nose and mouth with tissue when sneezing.

Anti-bac hand gel has its place in hospitals and other health care settings, where some seriously unpleasant bacteria could be passed between patients (and non-patients too, for that matter) - C.difficile, for e.g., or MRSA and other Staphylococcus, Strep bacteria, E. coli and so on.

Other than that, I don't use the stuff anywhere. I don't agree with putting your own body flora under constant attack.

I work in a building with around 500 other people, the majority men. I use anti bac gel ALL THE TIME! Just because I wash my hands properly after the toilet etc doesn't mean they do. Then touching lift buttons, handrails, door handle etc

I am fully aware it doesn't kill virus but it does kill germs and that'll do for me!

It's handy when away camping, and I keep some in my car so I can give my hands a quick once over after walking the dogs.

It's handy when away camping, and I keep some in my car so I can give my hands a quick once over after walking the dogs.

We also use it when camping - we tend to camp at places that don't have flushing toilets and often without much water.

I've never bought antibacterial soap.

Never used it. Never will. I just think it's pointless. I would worry more about a stay in hospital and picking up MRSA! I don't mind every day germs and bacteria. I don't mind touching door handles. Mind you, I am one of those that if my kids drop food, I just pick it up and pop it in my mouth, so probably not the best person to ask.
But I'm almost never ill. And my kids had 2 days of sick, in the whole of primary. So that's why I don't worry about these things.

Everyone seems to have the mistaken belief that it is bacteria rather than viruses that cause most common illnesses.

Do they?!
Are you basing this on the fact that when some people are sick they expect antibiotics, regardless of whether it's a bacterial or viral infection. Because that's very different from the sweeping statement you made here.

I used to teach hand hygiene to primary school kids and we'd use a uv lamp and special cream to show up bacteria on hands. Unwashed hands were gross, hands using either just soap and water or just gel were better, but the best by far was a scrub with soap and water followed by hand gel. That's why health professionals should do both at regular intervals and when switching patients.

It boils my piss when I hear parents in public loos telling their kids not to touch the sinks because they're 'dirty' and they'll just use some hand gel instead, after the kid has just touched the loo, locks, handles, wiped etc. I've always taught DS soap and water, then gel. If there's no soap and water then gel is ok in an emergency, but it's not a magical killer of all germs.

I've started adding tea tree oil to liquid soap to make it antibacterial.

This thread seems to show, not just that loads of those surveyed in US don't know the difference between bacteria and viruses (and weren't asked about any other pathogens), but also that some here don't know the difference between hand gel (not banned) and hand wash.

Surely hand gel was designed for times when you aren't near soap and water though. Working in schools and hospitals where there is a high transfer of bacterial illnesses then it's easier and quicker to give your hands a quick squirt with gel to protect yourself.

I have some but again it's kept in the car and used if we need to and have no access to hot water/any water and soap.

Other than that it's not used. I have a colleague who slathers it on. I hate the smell.

Most of the stuff in fecal matter is bacteria though. Ecoli being the big one. I use it to protect myself and my kids from that

There is antibac and antiviral hand foam available (I'm never without it at theme parks!) but antibac is one of the biggest marketing cons of recent decades. Normal soap is antibacterial enough!

www.theguardian.com/society/2015/sep/16/antibacterial-soap-with-triclosan-found-to-be-no-real-threat-to-germs

Were the bacteria in those cultures all harmful?

That depends to a certain extent where it is, staphylococcus aureus doesn't cause many problems in your nose, but in a post op wound it is dangerous.

I only use it at work, unless I'm dealing with a patient with C-Diff and good old soap and water is needed instead (it is resistant to anti bac)

I try to use soap and water as much as possible but most of the time it is is much easier to use the hand foam at the end of the bed instead of walking to a sink.

I don't use it at home.

Hospital policy for staff is that if your hands are visibly clean and you have not been dealing with C.Diff or VREC, then alcohol gel is better than soap and water and you do not need to wash your hands with soap and water routinely. However, it's recommended that you wash your hands with soap and water periodically (say every 10 applications of gel) to avoid buildup on your skin.

Alcohol gel works only when it dries. The alcohol dehydrates and breaks the outer membrane of the bacteria, killing it. Until it is dry, the bacteria swim around in it very happily. So if you put loads of gel on your hands (to be super clean) and do things with them straight away, you'll just transfer bacteria. It is also totally ineffective against C.Diff and VREC because the spores persist, so soap and water must be used in those cases. Another thing worth noting is that gloves aren't sterile and healthcare professionals should be gelling their hands (and allowing them to dry) directly before they put gloves on to make sure they don't transfer bacteria.

My partner is a bit of a germophobe and uses it constantly at work.
But he work in a massive office and has caught Norovirus 7 times in the past.... He isn't constantly applying it, but it's specifically for after using the toilets where he doesn't trust people to not spread germs about.

Nelly what are "germs"?

You can catch viruses from touching door handles, switches etc and then touching your face. You 'eat' it! So, as a pp said I try never to touch my face.

I also only use soap and water, and wash my hands as soon as I come home and before food etc.

However, I do re use my tea towel so maybe I'm not that good at environmental hazard control as I thought

hollinhurst84 you shower with hibiscrub!? But that's one of the products we use to scrub up for surgery and asceptic techniques....it really can't be good for your skin to be lathering up with that all the time! In fact, contact dermatitis from all the hand washing is a big problem at work and we have to be really vigilant with moisturising etc to prevent it. We only use the nasty soaps like that because it is so important for patient safety...