In the recent years, the debate about hygiene had a new topic added to its list: Which works better- Soap or Sanitizer? As we saw an influx of increasing advertisements for sanitizer and its increasing appearance around our homes, departmental stores and shops, the question is being asked more and more. With the onset of Coronavirus Pandemic since the past year, the question has gained a new following and achieved new status of significance. Hygiene is considered the best and only protection against the deadly virus, so here we are going to look at this debate more closely and really understand which actually works better and is more efficient. Let us find out.
As specified by the WHO, cleaning one’s hand with soap and water or alcohol based hand rub is essential to reduce the risk of catching Corona Virus infection. Frequently washing hands with good quality soap or sanitizer will remove the harmful virus and get rid of them. The CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) recommends washing your hands for 20 seconds to prevent the spread of COVID 19 virus.
Soap has the ability to spread nicely and evenly and the lather from the soap will ensure that no grime or bacteria remains on the hands. In ordinary life, we tend to pick up various dirt, germs and grime while playing sports, doing house chores, managing equipments or any work in the social setting, and they require a good hand washing session to go away. The range here is quite large and some bacteria or germs even stronger than the corona virus cannot escape a good lather.
Whereas in the case of sanitizer, the first and foremost thing is the sanitizer needs to be at least contain 60% alcohol to work efficiently. Also, in comparatively controlled settings such as clinics and hospitals, they do not tend to lift grime and dirt as much as in a social setting. Also, hands in medical setting do not tend to get as soiled or greasy as well. Alcohol based hand sanitizers are not capable of removing harmful or inactive chemicals as alcohol cannot dissolve or remove such substances. As per a research, those who used sanitizers often were found to have an increased amount of pesticides in their body in comparison to people who did not. This study effectively showed why we should prefer Soap over Sanitizers. But we have a few more arguments to look at in order to understand it better. Sanitizers tend to have varied alcohol content as per varying brands. Sanitizers containing 60 to 95% alcohol works the best at killing germs but one must always be aware of the alcohol quantity in the sanitizer. Likewise sanitizers with less alcohol content can have reduced resistance to bacteria as well. Also, kids can easily be poisoned through alcohol present in the sanitizer, thereby creating an entirely new threat.
Considering these arguments, one must understand why washing your hands with soap and water is better than using sanitizers and why it is considered the more effective choice.
