A discussion / recommendation on handwashing versus sanitizer would be most welcome, I think. I have seen recommendations ranging from “always wash hands if possible, use sanitizer only if handwashing is not possible” to “use hand sanitizer unless your hands are visibly dirty, in which case wash them.”
I am a bit concerned that applying lotion after handwashing is potentially a good way to re-contaminate your hands, unless you and everyone in your household is very careful about how you handle the lotion.
(I seemingly managed to give myself irritant contact dermatitis from overaggressive handwashing after the first few days I started doing it a lot; the backs of my hands became red and painful. I feel like the amount of handwashing it took to cause this was a lot less than I expected. I may have made it worse by using excessively-hot water, but I might also just have unusually sensitive skin.)
CDC advises alcohol based sanitizers at least in clinical settings, IFF your hands are visibly clean—since it’s more effective in that case, and less drying. (Note: it does not help if you have actual bits of dirt on your hands.)
Their advice for healthcare settings is to prefer hand sanitizer, because it’s better at killing germs, it doesn’t dry your skin as much, and you’re more likely to actually use it. https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/science/index.html
I’ve heard but have not researched that within the range of water temperature a human being can stand, the temperature isn’t contributing anything to the anti-microbial effects. So colder water for more handwashing or less irritation might be free money.
A discussion / recommendation on handwashing versus sanitizer would be most welcome, I think. I have seen recommendations ranging from “always wash hands if possible, use sanitizer only if handwashing is not possible” to “use hand sanitizer unless your hands are visibly dirty, in which case wash them.”
I am a bit concerned that applying lotion after handwashing is potentially a good way to re-contaminate your hands, unless you and everyone in your household is very careful about how you handle the lotion.
(I seemingly managed to give myself irritant contact dermatitis from overaggressive handwashing after the first few days I started doing it a lot; the backs of my hands became red and painful. I feel like the amount of handwashing it took to cause this was a lot less than I expected. I may have made it worse by using excessively-hot water, but I might also just have unusually sensitive skin.)
CDC advises alcohol based sanitizers at least in clinical settings, IFF your hands are visibly clean—since it’s more effective in that case, and less drying. (Note: it does not help if you have actual bits of dirt on your hands.)
Their advice for healthcare settings is to prefer hand sanitizer, because it’s better at killing germs, it doesn’t dry your skin as much, and you’re more likely to actually use it. https://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/science/index.html
Their advice for community settings is to prefer soap and water, as far as I can tell because you’re more likely to have stuff on your hands (grease, dirt), and because kids might drink it. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/show-me-the-science-hand-sanitizer.html
This coronavirus-specific page seems to treat them interchangeably. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/guidance-prevent-spread.html
A link here would be fantastic!
I’ve heard but have not researched that within the range of water temperature a human being can stand, the temperature isn’t contributing anything to the anti-microbial effects. So colder water for more handwashing or less irritation might be free money.