Hand wash or sanitizer: which one, and when?
Both clean your hands, but they don't do the same job. Here is how to pick the right one every time.
3 min read
The short answer
If there is a sink, wash. Soap and running water physically lift dirt, grease and germs off your skin and rinse them away. Sanitizer is for the moments in between, when a sink is not within reach.
Always choose hand wash when
- Your hands look or feel dirty, greasy or sticky
- You have just used the toilet or changed a nappy
- You are about to cook, eat or feed a child
- You have been caring for someone who is unwell
- You have handled raw meat, rubbish or animals
Sanitizer is the right call when
- You are out and there is no sink nearby
- You have just touched shared surfaces: door handles, cash, ATM keypads, bus rails
- You are entering or leaving a hospital, clinic or classroom
- You are about to eat on the go
What makes a sanitizer work
Health authorities such as the US CDC recommend an alcohol-based sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Curatol hand sanitizer contains 70% v/v alcohol. Use enough to cover every surface of both hands and keep rubbing until they are completely dry, which takes around 20 seconds. Do not wipe it off early.
Sanitizer works less well on visibly dirty or greasy hands, which is why washing comes first whenever it is possible.