When should you use alcohol-based hand sanitizer?

Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer is particularly recommended when transitioning from the contaminated side of the body to the clean side. This is crucial in infection control practices, especially in healthcare settings, to minimize the risk of spreading pathogens. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are effective in reducing the number of germs on hands and provide a quick and convenient way of maintaining hand hygiene when soap and water are not immediately accessible.

While washing hands with soap is the most effective way to clean hands, using hand sanitizer in specific circumstances, like moving from contaminated areas to areas where sterility is important, is a valuable practice. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are ideal for such situations as they can rapidly eliminate a wide range of microorganisms and are faster to use than handwashing.