# Viruses and Hand Sanitizers. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 2, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363 "2020-02-02T04:03:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/1 "2020-02-02T04:03:59Z")
My question: Do alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill viruses? My information is mixed. I’ll tell you what I know. About 20 years ago I was talking to a pharmacist about antibacterial hand lotions. He said, in summary, only ‘iodine in solution’ kills viruses. But later on I was watching _Prime Time Live_ (?) on ABC. They were doing a story on antibacterial hand lotion. And according to their tests, antibacterial hand lotion **does** kill the virus they used in their experiment. (FWIW they said the ‘rubbing motion’ had something to do with it, whatever that means.) More recently I asked my now-retired family physician if it did. He said yes. Also, I don’t know if this is relevant. But they do have hand sanitizers in places like nursing homes around flu season. There. That is all I know. What do the rest of you think? Also I trust you can see why a doctor or person with a biological degree would be great at answering this question:). :):):):):):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/2 "2020-02-02T04:26:04Z")
I go to alot of clinics, hospitals and Pharmacys. I see **GermX** at all of them. I buy it by the case at SamsClub (I’m phobic, don’t let this info disturb you). If it doesn’t work I’ve wasted approximately 2.5 years of my life, buying, looking for it, using it. I certainly hope it kills viruses and other plague germs.(I have grandkids) :eek: They use bleach cleaner at my infusion center. I can smell it. I asked the PA why hand sanitizers weren’t made with bleach. She laughed at me. I don’t trust the **Purell** brand. It doesn’t have as much alcohol, from the smell of it. I’ve not read any tests or cites. I trust my nose. My opinion only. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/3 "2020-02-02T04:31:36Z")
From the respective websites: Germ-X: “Ethyl Alcohol 63%” Purell: “Ethyl alcohol 70% v/v” ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/4 "2020-02-02T04:39:36Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > From the respective websites: > Germ-X: “Ethyl Alcohol 63%” > Purell: “Ethyl alcohol 70% v/v” I’m appropriately chastised. Disregard my previous post. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/5 "2020-02-02T07:02:07Z")
The last article I read on the matter said you should always opt for washing your hands when you have a choice. But hand sanitizer is better than not doing anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/6 "2020-02-02T07:42:34Z")
Here’s my theory: Washing your hands with water and soap is best because the water and soap will lift particles (bacteria, and maybe viruses?) and they will get mixed with the water and soap (especially if it’s sudsy). They when you rinse, it all gets rinsed off and goes down the drain, dead or alive. Same with washing dishes or laundry. The key is getting it rinsed off and down the drain. Once there, I don’t care if those germs are dead or alive. ---
**Author:** ![Die\_Capacitrix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/die_capacitrix/32/9_2.png) [@Die\_Capacitrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Die_Capacitrix)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/7 "2020-02-02T09:27:20Z")
To get from the work bathroom to my desk, I have to go through two doors. One is the bathroom, the other is the locked office door. As I am again coughing up a storm, I think I will start using hand sanitizer when I get to my desk. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/8 "2020-02-02T10:15:30Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > My question: Do alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill viruses? > > My information is mixed. I’ll tell you what I know. > > About 20 years ago I was talking to a pharmacist about antibacterial hand lotions. He said, in summary, only ‘iodine in solution’ kills viruses. But later on I was watching _Prime Time Live_ (?) on ABC. They were doing a story on antibacterial hand lotion. And according to their tests, antibacterial hand lotion **does** kill the virus they used in their experiment. (FWIW they said the ‘rubbing motion’ had something to do with it, whatever that means.) > > More recently I asked my now-retired family physician if it did. He said yes. > > Also, I don’t know if this is relevant. But they do have hand sanitizers in places like nursing homes around flu season. > > There. That is all I know. What do the rest of you think? Also I trust you can see why a doctor or person with a biological degree would be great at answering this question:). > > :):):):):):)🙂 A [CDC pdf](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf) with more information on it than you could ever want. The relevant bits below but in general yes they do. > [@](#): > > … The antimicrobial activity of alcohols can be attributed to > their ability to denature proteins (120). Alcohol solutions containing 60%–95% alcohol are most effective, and higher concentrations are less potent (120–122) because proteins are not > denatured easily in the absence of water (120). … > > … Alcohols, when used in concentrations present in alcoholbased hand rubs, also have in vivo activity against several > nonenveloped viruses (Table 2). For example, 70% isopropanol and 70% ethanol are more effective than medicated soap > or nonmedicated soap in reducing rotavirus titers on fingerpads > (137,138). A more recent study using the same test methods > evaluated a commercially available product containing 60% ethanol and found that the product reduced the infectivity > titers of three nonenveloped viruses (i.e., rotavirus, adenovirus, and rhinovirus) by \>3 logs (81). Other nonenveloped > viruses such as hepatitis A and enteroviruses (e.g., poliovirus) > may require 70%–80% alcohol to be reliably inactivated > (82,139). However, both 70% ethanol and a 62% ethanol > foam product with emollients reduced hepatitis A virus titers > on whole hands or fingertips more than nonmedicated soap; > both were equally as effective as antimicrobial soap containing 4% chlorhexidine gluconate in reducing reduced viral > counts on hands (140). In the same study, both 70% ethanol > and the 62% ethanol foam product demonstrated greater virucidal activity against poliovirus than either non-antimicrobial soap or a 4% chlorhexidine gluconate-containing soap … > > … Alcohol-based products are more effective for standard > handwashing or hand antisepsis by HCWs than soap or antimicrobial soaps (Table 3) … The standard guideline in a healthcare setting is soap and water if visibly dirty and otherwise a 60 to 95% alcohol based hand sanitizer. Aim for 20 seconds and getting all surfaces. ---
**Author:** ![joema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9adbd/32.png) [@joema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joema)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/9 "2020-02-02T10:46:22Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > Do alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill viruses?..I don’t know if this is relevant. But they do have hand sanitizers in places like nursing homes around flu season… The real issue is how effective is _any_ type of hand sanitizing method in preventing spread of the flu. This in turn depends on what current research shows as the method by which the flu is spread. It’s not that hand sanitizing (washing, alcohol, etc) is useless, but I think some research indicates the flu may spread by microscopic aerosolized particles exhaled from infected individuals. IOW even if the person doesn’t sneeze on you and doesn’t have direct or indirect physical contact, just walking through the air they exhale may put you at risk. I think some of this research comes from cases where a group of people from different places were in a confined space - say on an airplane, many had no physical or proximity contact with infected individuals on the plane, yet most of the got the flu and it was traced back to that event. It’s hard to believe in this day and age the relative contribution of each transmission mode of the flu is not fully understood. Although virus-based, the relative transmission modes are apparently different from the common cold. IOW it appears hand sanitizing and avoiding physical or indirect contact helps greatly for the common cold. It may not help as much for the flu. Maybe an epidemiologist could comment. ---
**Author:** ![Napier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Napier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Napier)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/10 "2020-02-02T12:24:59Z")
Things I’ve read about avoiding the common cold include that hand contact followed by rubbing the eyes is a very common mechanism, and that isopropyl alcohol is very effective on the cold virus (though not necessarily all viruses and bacteria). As a chronic pulmonary patient at high risk, this is the real issue for me. I keep isopropanol around in squeeze containers like you’d use for ketchup, and in little prepackaged swabs (the Becton-Dickenson brand is best, having a thick sturdy absorbent felt well saturated in a handy foil envelope). ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/11 "2020-02-02T16:20:46Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I’m appropriately chastised. Disregard my previous post. I don’t have a sig line, but if I did, this would be totally it. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/12 "2020-02-02T17:52:42Z")
The FDA is clamping down on false benefits: [https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-final-rule-safety-and-effectiveness-consumer-hand-sanitizers](https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-issues-final-rule-safety-and-effectiveness-consumer-hand-sanitizers) Purell did not heed the April 2019 memo and got nailed: > **[FDA to Purell: Stop claiming your hand sanitizers eliminate Ebola and the flu...](https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/27/business/fda-purell/index.html)** > > The US Food and Drug Administration is giving the maker of Purell products a stern warning: Stop making unproven claims that over-the-counter hand sanitizers help eliminate Ebola, MRSA or the flu. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/13 "2020-02-02T23:12:38Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I go to alot of clinics, hospitals and Pharmacys. I see **GermX** at all of them. I buy it by the case at SamsClub (I’m phobic, don’t let this info disturb you). Yes, that’s probably killing off a lot of germs. The weak ones. Leaving behind all the stronger, more resistant germs. To breed a new generation of germs (every hour or two) that are even more resistant to mild antibiotics like hand sanitizers. So is that really helping? Or is it just making sure that the germs in your vicinity are the strong, healthy ones that can resist sanitizers? Read about drug-resistant germs if you want to be really scared. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2020, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/viruses-and-hand-sanitizers/847363/14 "2020-02-03T01:03:06Z")
> [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](#): > > Yes, that’s probably killing off a lot of germs. > The weak ones. > Leaving behind all the stronger, more resistant germs. To breed a new generation of germs (every hour or two) that are even more resistant to mild antibiotics like hand sanitizers. > > So is that really helping? Or is it just making sure that the germs in your vicinity are the strong, healthy ones that can resist sanitizers? > > Read about drug-resistant germs if you want to be really scared. There’s a big difference between resistance to antibiotics and a resistance to antiseptics/germicides. The former is to be feared, for certain. Those wonderful magic bullets that are antibiotics can go inside our body and kill the bacteria but leave our cells intact, and need to be used judiciously as to not bring about resistance. But topical antiseptics don’t induce much resistance. Antiseptics/germicides are the microbial equivalent of flamethrowers or poison gas. Tough to develop resistance to, and if taken internally they also tend to be toxic to the body in general. So please don’t equate the two different approaches.