While correct hand washing remains the best overall way to keep your hands germ-free, studies have shown that the majority of people don't wash their hands effectively. To do it right means spending 20 or 30 seconds with a lather and vigorously washing all parts of the hands, including fingernail areas. A common practice of early educators is to teach kids appropriate hand-washing techniques by having them sing "Happy Birthday to You!" twice while washing hands.
You can casually observe the hand-washing techniques of people in public restrooms, however, and you'll clearly see for yourself that most people who even wash their hands (and some skip this outright) don't wash for that long. Instead, it's a quick dip of hands to get them wet followed by a rapid soap and rinse cycle, quick dry with a paper towel or hand dryer, and departure. That doesn't kill all the germs, although it can provide rudimentary cleaning. Getting a dose of hand sanitizer on your way out of the restroom is just extra germ-zapper protection!
Health studies have shown that companies, schools, hospitals and general workplaces have lower incidences of colds, flu and absences due to illnesses when they provide access to hand sanitizers. And since sanitizer products are essentially alcohol suspended in a water-based gel, no substandard products are known to be on the market that "rob" people of their effectiveness. (In other words, it's so easy to make that there are no known "cheater" products that cause hand sanitizers to lose their effectiveness.)
If you want to provide better protection to your kids against colds, flu or other viruses, consider the following:
- Donate a large commercial-size container of hand sanitizer to your child's daycare or classroom. Ask to have the use of hand sanitizer added to basic hygiene routines. When this runs out, have the teacher ask other parents to help out as well.
- Provide your child with a personal-size sanitizer to keep in his backpack. Tuck in another sanitizer to keep in his lunchbox. Remind your child what amount is needed, or else you may find he uses it all within a few days!
- Stock hand sanitizers in your bathrooms at home and have your kids add their use to their hand-washing routine. Once it becomes part of their regular practice, they are more apt to continue using them later and when out and about.
- Hand sanitizers can be drying, so watch for signs of irritated or dried skin. Sensitive skin can react to too-much use, or there are hand sanitizer products available that may have conditioning ingredients added to offset the drying effects of alcohol. Offer your kids hand lotion as needed as well to keep skin from drying out.
