Hand Sanitizers: Why Alcohol is Preferred & When to Consider Non-Alcohol Formulations

id you know that not all hand sanitizers are created equal, and it’s important to know the difference?
Hand sanitizers can be alcohol based or non-alcohol based, utilizing active ingredients such as benzalkonium chloride. Generally speaking, alcohol-based sanitizers are the better option for hand sanitizers because they are typically more effective and safer.
First and foremost, if your hands are visibly soiled, hand sanitizer is not the answer. You should use soap and water to clean your hands.
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), hand sanitizers with 60-95% alcohol concentration are more effective at killing bacteria than hand sanitizers with lower concentrations and those with no alcohol at all.
Despite this, there are plenty of non-alcohol-based hand sanitizers available on the market. The lack of effectiveness of these sanitizers may pose a risk to both the user and the people who might later come into contact with the bacteria left behind.
Beyond a lower rate of efficacy, there are additional dangers associated with non-alcohol based hand sanitizers. There are concerns of quats like benzalkonium chloride entering the environment and leaving behind harmful, persistent chemicals.
Additionally, non alcohol hand sanitizers can take 4x as long to effectively kill germs. Ethyl-alcohol hand sanitizers can kill bacteria in as little as 15 seconds. Non-alcohol hand sanitizers can take 30-60 seconds.While it may not seem that long, people may begin using their hands before the sanitizer has done its job and effectively killed germs.
This means that people may not have truly sanitized hands when they begin other activities, such as eating, shaking hands, or even touching common surfaces. This then spreads more pathogens that otherwise should have been eliminated, increasing the risk of illness.
FDA regulations have prohibited the use of certain ingredients in hand sanitizers due to their potential health risks, such as cancer, irritation of the upper respiratory tract, and possible damage to eyes and skin.
While non-alcohol-based hand and surface sanitizers are available, use of these products are generally restricted to situations where alcohol-based may be of concern. For example, correctional, psychiatric, and some educational institutions, and anywhere that local fire regulations limit storage/inventory quantities.
If you need help identifying which hand sanitizers will be the best for your facility, contact one of our sanitation specialists at Imperial Dade. If you choose a non-alcohol-based hand sanitizer, we can provide you with safe options as well as education on how to ensure they are properly used to ensure maximum effectiveness.