Three-ring binders? Check. Erasers? Check. College-ruled notebook paper? Check.
Hand sanitizer? Double check. Yes, a new item showed up on almost every school supplies list in Oklahoma this year as educators are getting serious about reducing the spread of illnesses.
“If you’re looking to kill germs and you don’t have access to soap and water, hand sanitizers are a great alternative,” said OMRF President Stephen Prescott, M.D. “But not all hand sanitizers are created equal.”
Hand sanitizers are generally a concoction of alcohol, water and glycerin with a bit of fragrance in the mix. The key ingredient is alcohol, which kills germs by physically destroying the cell membrane and removes vital proteins from harmful bacteria.
“If the alcohol concentration is less than 60 percent, find a different hand sanitizer,” Prescott said. “Whether it’s ethyl alcohol, ethanol, isopropanol or some other variation, it needs to comprise at least 60 percent of the mix to kill microbes.”
Hand sanitizer is not a replacement for hand washing, he said, but it’s a good supplement when washing isn’t an option. If hands have visible dirt or other filth on them, sanitizer won’t do the job.
“The best option is always washing, because it not only gets rid of the most germs and bacteria, it breaks up oils and removes dirt, which give germs and bacteria a place to hide,” Prescott said. “A quick rinse of water is fine, but to really make a difference, a thorough washing is the best defense against the spread of common illnesses.”
What’s the right way to wash?
- Wet hands with clean running water. Cold is fine, but warm is preferred. Then add soap.
- Create a lather by rubbing the soap in the palms and then spread it up and around fingers, on the backs of hands and around the nails. These are spots often missed in hand washing.
- Keep washing for at least 20 seconds—about as long as it takes to hum “Yankee Doodle Dandy.”
- Dry with a clean towel or under the air dryer.
The tips for hand sanitizer use are pretty similar. Be sure to get the sanitizer on the back of the hands and up the fingers to the nails. Keep rubbing until it evaporates.
“Students lose about 22 million school days each year because of colds,” he said. “Hand sanitizer can’t guarantee our kids won’t ever get the sniffles again, but it can help keep them—and us—from spreading so many germs.”