Hand-washing vs. Hand Sanitizers: Which Works Better to Avoid Coronavirus Spread?

What is better at protecting yourself from coronavirus? Is it using a hand sanitizer or by just with plain old hand-washing?

Experts all agree that washing your hand is the best option, but when there's no available water or a sink nearby, using a sanitizer helps too. Here is what soap and water are tops, while sanitizers are a hit and miss.

Hand sanitizer is isopropyl alcohol, plus gel, and smelling essential oils in a gel-like substance. Most hospitals and health care centers use it to disinfect quickly, so doctors do not need to hand wash when in between patients because going to a sink is not always convenient when in a hurry.

For the most part, a hand sanitizer will use alcohol to kill bacteria and viruses outer layer that renders them sterilized so it will not able to infect the host cells. If the virus has a hard outer shell, like noroviruses that will make alcohol-based sanitizers useless. However, it can work but limited only.

It is best to wash away the coronavirus without killing the virus that will persist unless the pathogens are removed by soap and water. Also, it takes away mucus with viruses better. Hand washing is better compared to using a hand sanitizer.

Also read: Coronavirus Types: Scientists in China Discover Two New Strains of COVID-19

According to Preeti Malani, a medical professor focused on infectious disease based in the University of Michigan, said that hand-washing is better than alcohol while cleansing with alcohol is not any better.

Is over washing your hands or using too much sanitizer a problem to consider?

Sanjay Maggirwar of the George Washington University's department of microbiology, immunology, and tropical medicine, reported that too much washing, applying sanitizer will dry out the skin of the hands.

He added that one needs to be more efficient when doing moisturizing, also there is nothing bad about it.

Proper application of a sanitizer

1. Use about three millimeters of it on the hands.

2. Vigorously run your hands about 10 to 15 second, until the hands are dry.

3. Do it anytime to cleanse your hands of germs, but take time to hand wash often, since it is better.

Other reminders to know about using certain soaps and sanitizers

1. Soaps with triclosan might risk antibiotic repulsion. They limit the efficacy of sanitizers and soaps.

2. Bacteria and pathogens are vulnerable to ordinary soap, none of the fancy additives.

3. Any soap will do fine, even with no antimicrobial'on the label itself. Anything works if it is a soap.

Is a DIY sanitizer okay to use?

Most sanitizers will be made of alcohol or any aloe vera gel. But a DIY version is even cheaper than the ones sold in most stores.

Just shake it up to make it gel-hard, or take Jack Caravanos (clinical professor of environmental public health, NYU) advice, add vodka to make it 60% alcohol proof, or stronger at 150 proofs and more.

What is really better?

Most would agree that hand-washing is more efficient when disinfection is needed. Using a hand sanitizer is good but does not remove the gunk, unlike hand washing that has a better chance at cleansing than alcohol when comes to the coronavirus or COVID-19.