With the flu season closing in, staying healthy is on everyone’s mind right now. At college, with thousands of students moving in and out of classrooms, bathrooms and dining halls, viruses and bacteria are everywhere. Did you know that only two thirds of people typically wash their hands after using the bathroom? And around 200 species of bacteria can be living on your hands at any time?
Many college students are well aware of flu season and try their hardest to avoid it. Eight hours of sleep, plenty of water, and clementines filled with Vitamin C all help, but hand washing is one of the best ways to scrub potential colds away. Busy college students often opt out of hand washing for a squirt of timesaving hand sanitizer instead. So how well does it work?
Hand sanitizers fall into two categories: alcoholic and non-alcoholic based. There is a huge difference in the effectiveness of each of these. Non-alcoholic hand sanitizers are promoted as less harmful alternatives to the harsh drying effect of alcoholic sanitizers. Instead of alcohol, they contain sanitizing antimicrobial benzalkonium beads. These beads are promoted as being less drying, but equally as effective as alcohol-based hand sanitizers. However, most non-alcoholic products also state that hand washing every few hours is necessary to achieve 98-99% effectiveness. Even then, not all bacteria or viruses are killed and do slowly grow again as time passes.
On the other hand (pun intended), alcoholic hand sanitizers having a 60% concentration or higher have been shown to significantly reduce bacteria and viruses. Doctors and researchers agree that when soap and water aren’t accessible, alcohol based sanitizers are a decent substitution. Remember to moisturize though! The alcohol, combined with the cold weather, will severely impact your skin.
The final word on hand sanitizer is still up in the air. To stay healthy this winter, go with the foolproof hand scrubbing method. Just 20 seconds of scrubbing can clean away those 200 species of bacteria. The extra minute of soap and water could save you a week’s worth of Kleenex, Dayquil and missed classes.
Photo Credits:
http://www.knowabouthealth.com/do-you-think-hand-sanitizers-are-effectiv…
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB1000142412788732490020457828635419…
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Consumer/story?id=3043257
http://www.upmcmyhealthmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Untitled-1…