Choosing what type of hand sanitiser is best for your business is a job that comes with a lot of responsibility. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, lots of new brands of hands sanitiser have been appearing in shops. There has also been an abundance of misinformation shared on social media, making it hard to separate fact from fiction.
As a result, we have so many questions: What does sanitiser do? Should we use alcohol free hand rub? Which hand sanitisers offer the best disease control against germs? Is it better to wash hands and dry hands or use a hand sanitiser dispenser?
To help you make the best decision, we’ve broken down what you need to look for to ensure the hand sanitiser you’re buying is effective in combatting the COVID pandemic and minimising germs. We’ve also pulled together insights from key scientific and government organisations, ensuring you’ve got trusted information to help you make an informed purchasing decision when it comes to hand sanitisers.
How to keep germs at bay for disease control
There is a lot of overwhelming information out there on how washing hands can help beat the COVID pandemic. For increased clarity, here is what four trusted sources are saying about hand sanitiser gel:
- World Health Organisation
An effective alcohol-based hand rub product should contain between 60% and 80% of alcohol and its efficacy should be proven according to the European Norm 1500 or the standards of the ASTM International (formerly, the American Society for Testing and Materials). - Health and Safety Executive
As an employer, you may choose to provide hand sanitiser and surface disinfectants for your workers or others to use. HSE cannot recommend any specific products. There are many alcohol hand sanitizers and alcohol-free hand sanitisers and surface disinfectants available on the UK market. - UK Government
Wash hands often - with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol hand sanitiser that contains at least 60% alcohol if hand washing with hand soap and water is not available. This is particularly important after taking public transport. - Public Health Bodies and NHS
Coronavirus (COVID-19) is an easy virus to kill when it is on skin. This can be done with soap and running water or hand sanitiser with varying alcohol content.
What is in hand sanitiser?
phs can provide your business with trusted hand sanitiser gel, as well as a range of hand sanitiser dispensers that can help your business maintain good hand hygiene. Our alcohol hand sanitiser is ethanol based which has been proven to be an effective hand sanitiser at 60% concentration (both by our own test results and external testing available to the general public).
As alcohol hand sanitiser (either ethanol or isopropanol) has a drying effect on the skin, using the lowest level of alcohol content will still provide the disease control and hygiene efficiency needed without washing hands, while also helping protect the skin from unnecessary damage and cracking.
The alcohol content of a product does not necessarily have a direct impact on its efficacy in killing germs. The higher the alcohol content, the more aggressive it is likely to be on the skin – especially on young hands or where there is broken skin.
The solution provided by phs is a 65% alcohol liquid hand sanitiser which conforms to EN1276 (Bactericidal efficacy) and EN14476 (Viricidal efficacy) for clean hands every time.
We also offer an alcohol-free hand sanitiser called Cleenol Senses. This odourless non-tainting skin sanitiser is designed for frequent use. It does not dry out skin like traditional alcohol-based sanitisers or hand soap, and works just as well at eliminating germs on the skin. It’s also proven to be effective against coronavirus.
Speak to a hand sanitiser expert
At phs, we have made it our business to help you adapt to the new normal during and after the COVID pandemic. We can provide hand sanitiser gel or spray and hand sanitiser dispensers to your business on a fully-serviced contract, ensuring you’re always prepared in the fight against germs. Our experts are always happy to support you and your business, ensuring you are making an informed choice when it comes to disease control.
View our full-range of hand sanitisers and handcare hygiene solutions.
Looking for hand hygiene tips? Click here to learn more about the best way to wash hands and dry hands.
