Hand sanitizer in supermarkets

[Medievalist]

Is anyone else finding that the hand sanitizer provided in supermarkets is getting thinner and thinner? The one in my local co-op yesterday was like water - I'm sure they must be watering it down. I've gone back to using my own as I just don't trust the stuff supplied by supermarkets.

@tapdancingmum

We were refused entry to a toy shop before Christmas as DH politely refused the hand sanitiser due to excema on his hands which like PP crack and bleed from too much use. When we said the reason why she airily replied ' well, one of our staff has that and has been told to use it and just puts up with it, anyway it's law'. We couldn't be bothered telling her it wasn't law (I hope I'm right 🙂) but I really wished I had said I wouldn't want to work for somebody who told me to do something that made my hands bleed!

We wash our hands when we get home which, I think, is what the guidance always has been.

That’s shocking. Though tbf I don’t expect toy shop assistants to know the law. Their superiors giving them instructions should get it right though.

I just offer to wash my hands instead if someone challenges me, and then don’t (water leads to a week of my hands being raw and bleeding, it’s shit). Tbf people back down once I actually show them my palms.

Of course it’s sensible to wash your hands frequently, but I do think that all this focussing on hand sanitisation has made us forget how it’s really spread.

This. Far too much focus on places having hand sanitiser and far too little focus on good ventilation.

Many of these dispensers don’t even smell of alcohol in them when they should contain 70% alcohol at least. I agree with you OP!

Toxic, pointless and stupid stuff. Why do you want to kill all the good bacteria on your hands that you need to detoxify you’re body (fight illness). Not to mention all the food packaging that now stinks of perfumed sanitiser. Our food and environment is already too sterile for us and make us sick. People who use sanitiser on children’s hands should be ashamed of yourselves. You are destroying developing immune systems. Kids needs to touch things and put their fingers in their mouth to develop healthy gut/immune system. All they are touching now and putting in their mouth is sterile dead stuff. They don’t even work on a virus. Only time it should be used is when operating on people

I use my own. I make sure I put it on as I walk past the gel stations. Some of them are gross!

I have stopped using it in some shops as the smell is disgusting and it’s ruining my hands. I just use my own, the Avon one is very good and has moisturising stuff in the gel as well so doesn’t dry out your hands but still contains the right amount of alcohol. Marks and Spencer’s outside the store is the best and smells lovely!

I use my own but only when I leave the shop. Mainly because I have bought crisps and want them in my face ASAP. Sanitizing your hands before you go in, wiping basket handles etc... it is just theatre.

Sad how many people are refusing basic hygiene. They clearly feel they aren’t or won’t be infected, and don’t a monkeys about their communities.

i would never touch them, as everybody touches them.
i use my own wipes.

@BluebellsGreenbells

Sad how many people are refusing basic hygiene. They clearly feel they aren’t or won’t be infected, and don’t a monkeys about their communities.

So feel free to post some studies about how Covid is spread via our hands.

I've never used it. I wash my hands before I go and again when I one home. The gel station at my local supermarket looks a revolting sticky mess of torn paper towels and over pumped dispensers. No thanks..

I also use my own. I got strongly directly towards the hand gel in John Lewis yesterday - I just told her that I'd recently used my own and walked on. I am not going to be dictated to about hand washing/sanitising, especially when there are only 6/100000 cases in my local area and anyone could cough into their hand/stick their finger up their nose/touch their germ ridden phone immediately after sanitising anyway.

@tapdancingmum in fairness I looked up the guidelines when dd developed dermatitis from all the hand washing and the guidance from BAD (British Association of Dermatologists) was explicitly not to stop washing or sanitising hands but to ensure that a good emollient was used frequently. I was hoping that the advice would at least be to use an emollient in place of soap but it was clear that soap/hand sanitiser should continue to be used.

I do sympathise, I have psoriasis including on my hands too but tbh I just keep shopping and places that require frequent sanitising to a minimum.

I hate the gummy jelly ones. I only use ones in stores if they're foot operated. I have 2 cans of aerosol alcohol sanitizer sprays that I use after I've been in the shop just before I take off my mask.

I tend to wear gloves as I have cold hands.

When I went to the library they insisted that I remove my gloves and use their sanitizer. I then put my gloves back on. I'm not quite sure what that achieved as I was only there for one reason for which I could wear gloves.

I always use my own, everyone else's seems gloopy & smells of sweaty feet.

I use carex for which I have big bottles I decant into keyring bottles

Stop using sanitiser you are killing bacteria and destroying your immune system

You are clueless. Our body is using bacteria to detoxify and you are killing it by using sanitiser

Crisps and sanitiser sounds like a good combination, hello cancer

@Lourdes12

Crisps and sanitiser sounds like a good combination, hello cancer

Pandemic version of a pint and pack of salt’n’vinegar - times are hard.

I hardly ever use them. They sting the skin on my hands if I use them much. It then goes dry and flaky and often bleeds.

I wash my hands before I leave for shopping and again when I get back.

Yep comes shooting out and drips everywhere.

@amicissimma
I had a similar experience when I went to get my first jab. It was at night-time in March so I was wearing gloves. The stewards at the door to the building insisted that I took my gloves off to use the hand sanitiser. I then put them back on and wore them for the rest of my appointment - sometimes I feel like the world is going mad!

I’m allergic to certain cosmetic preservatives so I prefer to use my own sanitizer where I can read the label and know it’s safe. You’d be surprised how often I get harassed by staff for not using their sanitizer. Apart from anything else I agree I don’t want to touch it when everyone else has.