Most hand sanitisers doesn't kill viruses!

[Craicon]

Hi, I am just amazed at how most of the mass market hand sanitisers available in shops and supermarkets kill bacteria only ! They mostly say "Kill 99.99% of bacteria", so they are absolutely useless against Covid which is of course, a virus ! There is a lot of ignorance around this ! People think they are protected but they're not .

I use nail polish remover to clean my hands, which is mostly alcohol.

Alcohol based hand gel kills viruses of its over 60%, the most common like Carex and Dettol are fine. Cuticura has a lower % listed because it's ethanol but that calculates as over 60% alcohol so also fine.

Yes this is right. It’s something to do with measuring the % by weight or volume. Cuticura is fine even though the % as listed is lower. I looked it up when I panicked after seeing the %.

Which poster was being a rude asshole? I read through all the responses and couldnt see one.

Good to know that hand gel with an alcohol content over 60% kills bacteria and viruses.

But I don't understand that if that is the case why most hand gel is always marketed as killing 99.9% of bacteria and not 99.9% of bacteria AND viruses.

@Craicon

Thanks for clarifying, some really rude assholes on here too , thanks to those who are not rude.

You're the rude one. You're the one who said "There is a lot of ignorance around this!"

@LIZS

Surely the act of hand-washing is better than not, regardless of your feelings as to its intrinsic effectiveness. Also may keep level of other infections down.

Absolutely

This was all said early last year regarding anti bac and virus killing

But its just another level of cleaning which can’t hurt for most of us

@Craicon
Buy the INEOS hand sanitiser.
That will do it.
You can get it at Amazon or ocado for sure

@WalrusWife

Hand gel doesn’t kill norovirus.

Yes. I use Sterizar for this reason. If I go to a shop I sometimes have to make a show of using my own sanitiser. Normally with Sterizar you just keep going till you wash it off.

I think by MN standards I might be clinically vulnerable - I have always had a regime for handwashing, cleaning hotspots, clearing out throat and airways etc.

It’s because not all viruses are susceptible to alcohol gels (but thankfully Coronaviruses are).

Until we are told that COVID has mutated and only plain bleach will kill the virus on hands.

@Ironfloor269

I use nail polish remover to clean my hands, which is mostly alcohol.

Nail varnish remover is acetone, not alcohol. You will damage your skin by using nail varnish remover regularly.

@feesh

It’s because not all viruses are susceptible to alcohol gels (but thankfully Coronaviruses are).

OK that makes sense.

But I am then puzzled as to why alcohol hand gel is still only marketed as killing bacteria and not "bacteria AND Covid"

Yes, they do.
Jeez MN is full of scaremongers today!

What next, nothing kills COVID on the hands so cut your hands off to be safe?

You do have to make sure you use enough to wet your hands thoroughly then rub it in briskly. Also, make sure you do it before going into the shop/ bus/ train and again as you leave.

@Ironfloor269

I use nail polish remover to clean my hands, which is mostly alcohol.

Is it? Thought it was a ketone not an alcohol?

To be fair, the gels ( even the 70% alcohol ones) don't deal with ALL viruses. I seem to remember the norovirus is a particular problem and gels don't work on it, even high alcohol ones . I also seem to remember that even soap and water isn't as effective on norovirus as with some other bacteria and viruse as it has a very tough exterior, though I may have got that wrong.

We are actually quite ' lucky ' I suppose that coronavirus is reasonably fragile outside the body.

Sorry just seen my post crossed with others saying the same thing but more coherently

@Reallybadidea

I thought this was a zombie thread, had to double check the date

So did I.

I thought this was established back in February before we even went into lockdown. Has to be over 60%.

I stand corrected.

Yes OP, people go round merrily trying to kill a virus with antiBAC hand sanitiser when soap and water is a perfect solution.

Some hand sanitisers do kill viruses - but again, so does soap and water.

In most cases it's simply covid theatre.

@redsquirrelfan

Yes OP, people go round merrily trying to kill a virus with antiBAC hand sanitiser when soap and water is a perfect solution.

Some hand sanitisers do kill viruses - but again, so does soap and water.

In most cases it's simply covid theatre.

So you touch the keypad at the supermarket while paying for your shopping.

They run out of gloves at the petrol pump.

You have to hold on to the handrail on the Tube or Bus.

Where is the magic sink that follows YOU around everywhere?

it's simply covid theatre

I thought Covid Theatre was just a person shouting misinformation into a void.

Oooh I'd love a magic sink to follow my toddler around, where can I get one please? (Does it also stock clean tops and trousers?)